


From The Ashes

by Flyorine



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2020-10-18 00:34:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20630132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flyorine/pseuds/Flyorine
Summary: Post-Resolution. Team TARDIS lands in the most beautiful garden of the universe, where they find danger they never expected. When they suffer a terrible loss, can the Doctor and Yaz recover, or will grief tear them apart?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! If you're looking for a cute and uncomplicated romance story, try my last work. This is going to be a lot less smooth-sailing, so buckle up. On the bright side, I can also guarantee 80% less side characters :-D. I hope everyone enjoys part 1!

"This is so boring, Graham." Ryan remarks, following his granddad on a rocky path cutting through the dense forest. "All of time and space, and you picked a garden." 

"An alien planet that _is_ a garden. Maybe we're spending too much time with the Doc, if you think it's boring." 

"There's nobody to talk to and nothing to do, except walk." Ryan says, approaching his hand from a sparkly lilac flower. The plant cowers away from him, and he raises his arms in exasperation. "Even the flowers don't want us here." 

Graham sighs, face hidden behind the unfolded map of the planet Shamboli. "Come on, son. There's a corn labyrinth this way... At least I think it's corn."

"Right, because that always turns out so well in horror films." 

"If we meet a psychopath, maybe you'll stop muttering about being bored." 

Ryan rolls his eyes as they wander deeper on Graham's choice of trail. The TARDIS landed near the planet's welcoming booth earlier, a simple wooden cabin surrounded by a wide variety of paths going through different parts of the garden. 

Graham was insistent about seeing what sort of vegetables could grow on Shamboli, and Ryan reluctantly agreed to go with his granddad. Yaz spotted a trail leading to an underground vineyard, and to nobody's surprise the Doctor went along. She was already offering the beginning of an explanation about plants growing in the dark when the two women disappeared into the thick cover of trees. 

Ryan spares a thought for his two friends, hoping they found something more interesting than rows of corn and blue carrots. 

***************

A few of the pebbles covering the ground slide when Yaz kicks a rock further down the path, still lost in her recent memories of the vineyard. She doesn't drink, but the mere concept of grapes growing into a cave intrigued her, and the visit lived up to her expectations.

_The plantation of vines stretched across an underground gallery deeper than what the dark haired woman could have imagined. A string of neon lights suspended through stalactites threw an artificial yellow glow around the space, reminding Yaz of Earth's sun on a cold day of winter. After drifting to a little kiosk near the entrance where a few signs explained how the wine was produced, she made her way back to have a proper look at the plants, jumping when the Doctor appeared in front of her with a handful of fruits._

_"Grapes?" She asked, already munching on one herself._

_Yaz blinked, considering the offer with a frown. "They're not yours, that's stealing." _

_The Doctor pursed her lips, eyes flickering between her snack and Yaz's stern gaze. "Is it? There's nobody here." She shrugged, and the police officer sighed. _

_"It doesn't mat..."_

_"Come on, PC Khan." The Time Lord replied, throwing her last grape and gulping the fruit as it landed in her mouth. "Live a little."_

_On any other day, she would have stood her ground. But between the gentle teasing and the tempting spark in her hazel eyes, Yaz caught a glimpse of the Doctor's usual bright personality - a first since their encounter with the Dalek - and she inhaled loudly. "If we get arrested, I'm blaming you." _

_The Doctor slugged an arm over her shoulders, guiding her friend deeper into the vineyard. "The green ones are the best. Let's start there."_

"Yaz? Are you listening?" 

The younger woman is snapped out of her thoughts, offering an apologetic glance to the Doctor. "You lost me somewhere around the natural reversion of photosynthesis." 

"That was two minutes ago!" The Time Lord replies, face scrunched. "Guess I was rambling a bit. Sorry." 

"It's all right." Yaz answers, bumping their shoulders together. "I told you, I don't like it when you're quiet. Should we go find the boys? The sun is about to set." 

"Probably a good idea." The Doctor says, looking around. "Not sure how safe this planet is at night." 

"With our luck, it's probably crawling with plant zombies." 

The blond shrugs, with a grin. "I've never met plant zombies before, I'd be up for it." 

"You're always up for trouble." Yaz chuckles quietly, shaking her head as they find the path that would take them back to the TARDIS.

***************

"All right, that was fun." Ryan reluctantly admits when he exits the labyrinth, Graham on his heels. The older man is fumbling with his map, eyes narrowed against the dimming light of the sun. 

"See? I told you." Graham replies, scanning the space they find themselves into. The dusty trails of the labyrinth progressively morph into lush grass, rows of corns replaced by flowery bushes and trees. Ryan whistles, taking in the landscape with wide eyes. 

"Impressive. Where are we?" 

"It's called the Gurdenzwer... Something. I have no idea how to say that word, but it literally means Path of Statues." Graham frowns, looking around. "I don't see any statues." 

"There!" Ryan exclaims, spotting a dark shape hidden between a wooden bench and a plantation of red flowers. "It's a cat." The animal is sticking its tongue out, and he carefully reaches out to touch the cold surface with the tip of his fingers. "Awesome." 

"Look at its fur." Graham adds, crouching next to his grandson. "It looks alive." He trails his hands over the animal's rounded back, almost expecting the fur to ripple under the pressure. 

Ryan nods, already twisting his head to see if there's more statues hidden around. "This way." He points, catching a glimpse of a boat between two oak trees. The bark is empty, except for a couple of fishing instruments sculpted between the unoccupied seats. The waves under the boat are practically flowing through the stone, and Graham is already searching for his phone to take a photo. There's no way they can accurately describe the precision of the work to Yaz and the Doctor. 

The next few minutes are spent chasing statues, until Graham notices the growing darkness surrounding them and reaches for his map, while Ryan spots an odd shadow. He frowns and slowly inches backwards, until his back hits Graham's unfolded plan. Before the older man can protest the collision, his grandson is speaking. 

"Graham? Wasn't that statue near the labyrinth before?" 

Looking away from the paper in front of him, he tentatively follows Ryan's gaze. An angel shaped figure is towering over them, face hidden behind two raised hands. The stone is chirped in places, and the textured details of the other statues leave place to a rusty approximation of wings and fingers. 

"Yes. Yes, it was." The older man replies, tucking the paper into his belt as he takes a step back with a firm grip on Ryan's arm. 

"So, it moved." 

"Yes." 

"And it looks like it's following us." Ryan states again. 

"Yep." 

Both men hold their breath for a tense second, frozen in the absolute silence stretching over the path. Two pair of eyes lock on the statue, waiting for something - anything - to happen. 

"Well, it's not moving anymore." Ryan says, tilting his head in curious observation. "And it's ugly." 

"Ryan!" Graham warns, when his grandson approaches the stone figure. 

"What?" He asks, raising his hands in surrender. "It's true. You can't even see its face. Maybe whoever made it didn't know how to sculpt faces." He laughs, leaning closer to catch a glimpse of what's hidden behind the angel's hands. "Never mind, it has a face. I don't know why it's hiding like that." Ryan shrugs, turning on his heels to walk back to Graham. 

His granddad shakes his head, eager to leave this part of the planet behind, now that Ryan is done tempting fate. Blinking, he twists his head as he tries to find the entrance of the trail that would lead them back to the TARDIS in the near complete darkness.

When he opens his eyes, Ryan is gone. 

"Ryan?" Glancing around, Graham stumbles back. "Ryan!" The older man feels his breathing accelerate, and his gaze snap back to the angel in warning. "I don't know who you are, or what you did to my grandson. But you messed with the wrong people." He growls, before taking off towards the thickest group of trees. 

The map he was holding fly out of his hands, swirling through the air and landing gently on the exact spot where Ryan disappeared. 

***************

The Doctor is leaning against the side of the TARDIS, struggling to listen to Yaz speaking about her latest work shift. She's lost in her own thoughts, caught somewhere between her friend's sharp hand movements and the magnetic way moonlight reflects into her warm brown eyes, before she forces herself to tune back into the story. 

"... when he saw the reflection of his own car's lights into the pub's window, he decided to call us." Yaz’s coworkers make a point of handing her every odd call received by the station since the train incident, leaving her alone to deal with mostly drunk idiots and a few children with overactive imagination. "He thought it was a spaceship."

"To be fair, nobody on Earth knows what spaceships really look like." The Doctor laughs, and Yaz grins in answer. 

"We do."

"Right." The Time Lord leans in, lowering her voice. "But that's because you're special." 

Yaz's smile turns pensive, as she swallows her first reaction. The Doctor is talking about them as a group, she's _not_ flirting. Time-travelling aliens flirting with ordinary humans only happens in films, she tells herself. And yet, the police officer's heartbeat quickens when a warm twinkle flashes through her friend's eyes. 

The moment is broken when Graham comes running, calling out the Doctor's name before stumbling to a stop in front of her. Exhausted, he bends over with his hands on his knees, feeling the alien's hand touch his shoulder tentatively. 

"Graham? Is Ryan all right?" 

"No..." The older man says, pausing to gulp a breath of air. "He was kidnapped... By a statue..." He straightens his back, pointing to the cluster of trees he emerged from. "There." 

The Doctor's quiet gasp draws his attention, and he frowns at the breathlessness in her voice when she asks. "What did it look like?" 

"Wha..." Graham starts asking, finding both of his elbows gripped by the now frantic blond. 

"It's important, Graham. What did the statue look like?" 

"A weird sort of... Angel? It was tall and hiding its face behind its ha...."

Before he can complete his sentence, the alien is sprinting towards the forest. 

***************

Graham and Yaz catch up when the Doctor stumbles onto the Path of Statues, all three of them freezing when they spot the angel blocking the way. The Time Lord's shoulders slump when her last hope of finding Ryan disappears. 

"Doc? What is it?" Graham presses, in the awkward silence. 

"They're called the Weeping Angels. They're not statues, not really. They only turn to stone when someone - or something - is looking at them." 

"What happened to Ryan?" Yaz asks, fighting the gloomy feeling stirring in her stomach. 

"He's dead." The whisper lands heavily, shocking the group into silence. Graham is the first to react, grasping the Doctor's shoulders and forcing her to face him. 

"Graham, no!" The warning comes too late, and when three pairs of eyes fall back to the Angel, the statue is standing close enough to touch them. Her hands are down, showing off pointy teeth and a feral smile. "Don't look away from it, but don't look at the eyes." The Doctor repeats, slowly. "You can't even blink." 

"Or what? What did it do to my grandson?" Graham snaps, sharply. 

"Sent him into the past."

"Well, can't we go get him? We're time travelers!" The older man pleads, with an edge of desperation. 

"He's dead, Graham." The Doctor pauses with a sigh. "Ryan lived his entire life in the blink of an eye. The Angels send people through the past, where they grow old and die, then they feed on the days the victims never get to live in the present." She whispers, voice wavering. "I can fix many thing, but I can't bring people back to life. I'm very sorry." 

"Can I go too? Into the past?" Graham asks once the meaning of his friend's explanation sinks in, surprisingly calm. 

The Doctor closes her eyes, thrown back to her last moments with Amy and Rory. She knows how this particular scenario plays out, but the idea of being left without Ryan, Graham and Yaz fills her with dread and a dizzying sense of emptiness. Forcing herself to stare at the statue, she answers honestly. 

"Yes." The Time Lord gently pushes the older man forwards. "Close your eyes, and it will take you away." 

He grips her arm before addressing Yaz, voice softened. "Can you look at it, cockle?" The police officer nods, mind reeling at the rapidly unfolding events. 

Graham turns again to face the Doctor. "Thank you. Traveling with you... I never thought I could do so much with my life. I'm glad we met you." The blond can only blink, speechless. "And Ryan would say the same, if he had the chance to say goodbye. I know he would." He pauses, considering his decision and the woman - or women, Graham corrects his thoughts - he will be leaving behind. "I'd stay, if I could. But he's the only family I have left, and Grace would want me to keep an eye on him. Keep up his biking skills, you know." With a last squeeze on the Doctor’s arm, he forces a deep breath into his lungs and stands in front of the Angel’s opened hands. 

"Graham..." Yaz interrupts, grappling with the flow of thoughts traveling through her mind. "I can't..." She trails off again, meeting his understanding smile in apology.

"I know." He replies, gently rubbing her nearest shoulder. "We'll be all right. Now what? We all stop looking at it?" He asks, eyes glued to the angry stone features. 

"Yes." The Doctor's sharp answer cuts through the tension, and Graham narrows his thoughts on the image of Ryan waiting for him. 

The older man stands alone for a frozen second, eyes screwed shut and holding his breath, until he feels a breeze of salty warm air sweep across his face. Glancing around, he finds himself in the middle of a white sanded beach, with an ocean of crystal clear water expanding into the horizon. 

"Graham!" He startles at the sound of his name, twisting his head to spot Ryan walking away from a small group of people. "I think we're back on Earth, everyone is speaking French, and I have no signal on my phone." He lowers his voice, pointing at the curious bystanders behind him. "They don't even know what a phone is. Where's the Doctor? I'm sure she speaks French."

"The Doc is not coming." He pauses, acknowledging the heartache brought by the mention of his friends. "And I don't think Yaz is either. It's just us." He says, wrapping Ryan into a tight hug. The uncharacteristic display of affection earns him a confused frown from his grandson.

"Just us?" Ryan repeats, eyes widening when the news slowly sinks in. "Granddad? Are we going to be all right?" 

Graham clears his throat, taking an awkward step back. "Of course. Let's find some food, and I'll explain." 

***************

Yaz breathes out a quiet gasp when her eyes blink opened. The statue hasn’t moved, but her friend is nowhere to be found. Banishing the first waves of shocked grief to a corner of her mind, - to be dealt with later - she stares at the Angel's feet, determined to have Graham be the last of its victims while the Doctor works out a way to make it disapp...

"Your turn, then." The quiet whisper comes from her left side, and it takes every bit of Yaz's concentration to keep her focus on the Weeping Angel. 

"What?" 

"You should go with Ryan and Graham." The Doctor answers, emotionless. The memory of how she tearfully pleaded with Amy to stay - only to feel her hearts shatter in her chest when the woman vanished under her eyes - plays through her mind. "It's all right, you just have to blink and you'll be wherever they are." 

"It's not all right." Yaz grits out, teeth clenched. "I'll never see you again." 

"I can... Try to come visit." The Time Lord answers, flinching at her own unconvincing lie. Seeing the group for a few hours without being able to be part of their lives would be too painful. She'd more likely observe them from a distance once or twice, before forcing herself to move on. "I'll be fine, and you get to grow old with your fr..."

"No." Yaz cuts off, struggling to keep the anger out of her voice. "I'm not leaving you." 

"It won't hurt." The blond tries again, waiting until it becomes obvious that her friend won't listen. She steps forwards, gently touching her shoulder. "Yaz, look at me." 

The human growls, shrugging off the touch. "I don't know what makes you more daft. That stupid attempt to trick me into looking away, or that you think never seeing you again won't hurt." The Doctor sighs, shaking her head. "It's my choice, not yours." 

"Yes, it is." 

A third voice coming from behind the two women startles Yaz, and she barely manages to keep her gaze on the stone creature. She feels more than sees the Doctor’s body stiffen with a stunned gasp. 

A charged silence stretches over the forest, until the Sonic falls from the blond's loose hold, landing with a muted sound on the grass. The Doctor audibly swallows when the screwdriver is pressed back into her hand, forcing herself to meet the newcomer’s eyes. 

"Hello, sweetie." 

"River." The Doctor chokes out, reaching a hand to touch her wife's cheek. Her trembling fingers pause a breath away from skin, frozen in hesitation. River takes the initiative, circling her wrist and mapping out her forearm until she grasps her elbow. 

"Back to the ridiculous clothes, I see." 

The answering sad chuckle dissolves the tension between them. When the Doctor offers a fond shake of her head, Yaz appears in River's field of vision. The younger woman is still staring at the Weeping Angel, back tense and hearing strained to catch the conversation happening behind her. 

"I've been watching you and your girlfriend." River remarks, lowering her voice as she tugs her wife back to widen the distance with the human and gain some privacy. 

The Doctor glances sideways, but allows the movement. "Jealous?" 

"Hm, maybe." The alien's smile turns into a smirk, and River leans closer. "Don't be so smug, I didn't say jealous of who." The Doctor tilts her head, and they're nose to nose for a moment, before River closes the gap. Her hands find the blond's shoulders and she pulls until the Time Lord's arms circle her back. 

"You always feel so real." The Doctor whispers, with a sad smile. 

"I'm not. I'm a memory, like the rest of this planet."

"A memory?" The Doctor repeats, frowning. 

River nods. "Yes. Shamboli is a telepathic garden. It brings the visitors' memories to life, which is a great idea until..."

"Until the memory of an Angel turns into an Angel." 

"Yes."

The Doctor ponders the new information quietly. "It's my fault then..." She says, eyes widening in horrified shock as she realizes how the garden got hold of a memory of the Weeping Angels. "Oi!" The blond protests when her wife hits the back of her hand against her shoulder. 

"Snap out of it. You have no way of knowing where it found that memory. Not everything is your fault." River's stern voice cuts the Doctor's burst of guilt short. "The universe doesn't revolve around you." 

"Doesn't it?" The alien gives a tight smile, sighing when she looks back at the statue. "What am I supposed to do, River?" She asks, struggling to make sense of the mess of feelings squeezed together in her chest. 

"You leave it to me. I'll erase the Weeping Angels from the system, while you leave with Ya... your girlfriend." 

“It’s not like that.” The Doctor finally corrects, earning a teasing smile in reply. 

“Maybe it should be." 

"Yaz should go with her friends.” The Time Lord begins, scrubbing a tired hand down her face. “Sticking around me is just going to get her k..." 

"Listen to me, you self-sacrificing idiot." River interrupts sharply, lowering her voice a little more. "Do you remember my parents?" 

The Doctor frowns, wondering how her wife can even be asking that question at this very specific moment. "What kind of qu..."

"Do you remember my parents?" River repeats, articulating every word. 

"Of course I remember." 

"And has any part of your stupid brain realized that Yaz looks at you exactly like Amy looked at Rory?" 

"Are you comparing me to your father? River, that's really offens..." 

"My dad protected Amy for thousands of years. Step up." River interrupts, fiery determination shining in her eyes. It stops the Doctor's objection, and she frowns in curiosity. 

"Since when are you pushing me towards other people?" 

"Since our time ended, Doctor." The harsh words make the Time Lord flinch, and River offers a warm smile. "I'm dead in both of our timelines, sweetie. You know that. Stop living off the hope of meeting one of my ghosts again." Inhaling sharply, she tucks a lock of blond hair behind the Doctor's ear and leans closer to whisper. "I do wish I could have spent time with you in this body though." 

The Doctor shivers, and River chuckles as she brings their lips together again. There's an addicting new softness to their kisses, and she sighs with the realization that they're running out of time. "All right, off you go. I need to talk to your girlfriend." 

"But I don't want to go." The Time Lord replies, and her wife cups her face gently. 

"I know. Remember what I told you about saying goodbye?" 

_If you ever loved me, say it like you're going to come back._

The Doctor rests their foreheads together with a deep breath. "All right, then." She clears her throat and forcefully collects herself before meeting River's eyes again, taking a step back. "Try to stay out of trouble until next time." The other woman opens her mouth, but the Doctor continues before she can chime in. "I know, not happening. Worth a shot though." River laughs, and the Time Lord bites her lip at the flow of memory brought on by the sound. "Bye, Doctor River Song." 

With a last look to her wife, the Doctor turns and starts making her way back to the TARDIS, ignoring the tears trickling down her cheeks once she's alone. 

***************

Yaz is about to close her left eye while keeping the right one glued to the statue, when a hand lands against her upper arm. 

"Clever. It usually takes longer for people to realize they can close their eyes without losing sight of it." 

Yaz turns when she sees the mysterious woman's gaze firmly set on the statue from the corner of her eye. Glancing around, she notices the Doctor's sudden disappearance. Between her friend's emotional reaction and the easy intimacy coloring the hushed words she exchanged with the stranger, Yaz feels her natural curiosity stir up. 

"Who are you?" 

River frowns, pondering the question. The younger woman is smart. If she knew about the Doctor being married, she would have made the connection by now. "Do you really not know?" When the only answer she receives is a lingering silence, River spares an annoyed thought for her Time Lord. "Then you should ask the Doctor." 

"She won't tell me." Yaz states. "She never talks about the past... Except to show off about something clever she did." She adds, with a fond little smile. 

"Of course she does." River mumbles, rolling her eyes. "Make her then"

"Wh... What?" The human hesitates, eyebrows knitted together. "I'm not forcing her to talk to me." 

"Listen, I know the Doctor. She's going to keep your at arm's length forever, if you don't..." River sighs. "Push. But if you're happy being her friend.." She trails off with a shrug, catching a glimpse of the dark haired woman's deepening frown. 

"I am, but... I think I want more." The answer spills out of Yaz's mouth, the lilt in her voice betraying her uncertainty. 

River swallows the burst of jealousy flowing through her heart - how she wishes she could have more time with the Doctor - and nods. "She wants more too. It took me a very long time to understand that. Don't make the same mistake, Yaz." Her shoulders raise with a long sigh. "You should go." She feels the younger woman hesitates, only now remembering the statue. "I'll take care of it. Don't worry." 

Yaz takes a couple of steps back, keeping her gaze lock on the Angel - just in case - until the woman's words sink in. "How do you know my name?" She asks, raising her voice to be heard from a distance. 

"There are stories about you, Yasmin Khan." 

The human's feet falter in shock, and she presses. "Stories? What sort of stories?" 

River smirks, a small, satisfied smile caught only by the Weeping Angel's empty eyes. "Spoilers."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more a continuation of part 1 than a real part 2, so don't expect much happiness yet (Sorry?). On the bright side, it's really hard for me to write the Doctor and Yaz being awkward with each other, so the angst won't last too long :-D
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments on the first chapter!!

With a long intake of breath, Yaz presses her palm against the blue door of the TARDIS. Frowning, she notices the light trembling in her own fingers, closing her hand against the rough surface as she musters up the courage to enter the ship knowing Ryan and Graham will never walk through these doors again. She swallows through the thick lump of sadness knotting her throat, stepping forwards with a firm push on the wood. 

The Doctor is leaning against the console, hands splayed over the panel and head hanging between her shoulders. Glancing back to meet her friend's eyes, she clicks her jaw shut. She has nothing to say, for once. Nothing she can do will bring Ryan or Graham back, and any apologies she could offer would fall short against the air of quiet anguish seemingly vibrating around Yaz. 

The dark haired woman's gaze drifts away from the Doctor, circling the room she considers her second home. The dimly lighted space appears much colder - and emptier - than when they left the ship a few hours ago. Even the permanent hum of the TARDIS has faded, relegated to a faint whir clinging to the walls. Yaz feels lost as she makes her way to stand at the console, opposite the Doctor. 

Tilting her head to meet the alien's shifty eyes on the side of the central column, she struggles to make sense of the situation. Never seeing Graham munch on one of his sandwiches on her left, or Ryan play on his phone on her right is going to be a hard reality to adjust to. 

"Do you want to go home?" The Doctor's voice is rough when she speaks, following Yaz's eyes to the men's usual spots. 

"I..." The younger woman hesitates. "I don't know." She spends enough time around grieving people in her line of work to know she's in shock, but Yaz is surprised by how slowly her thoughts click together. Blinking, she allows her brain to fall back on her police training. “Are you sure that woma...” She trails off, pensively. “What’s her name?”

“River Song.” 

The clipped answer cuts through the tension, a welcomed distraction from the memory of Graham's sad, resigned eyes that haunts Yaz. “Are you sure she’ll take care of the Angel?”

“Yes.”

“Because you know each other.” Yaz prompts, desperate to spark a conversation that doesn't involve the loss of her friends. 

“Yes.” 

The one worded replies earn the Time Lord an impatient sigh. “Why do you trust her to get rid of a living statue that just killed our friends?”

“I'd trust River with my life. Already have, many times.” The Doctor snaps back, and Yaz senses her own frustration grow. 

“Why?”

Silence lingers again, before the blond exhales loudly through her nose. “It’s a long story.”

“Shocking.” Yaz fires back, dejected. “It’s always a long story with you, until a Dalek shows up, and you spend weeks pretending that you’re fine when you’re clearly not. Or until a statue kill your friends, and you leave a stranger to deal with it.” She pauses to breathe, gaze lowered to the floor. “I thought we were friends.”

“W...” The Doctor opens and closes her mouth, speechless for a second. “We are. But I c...” _Can’t talk about my dead wife after failing Ryan and Graham._ The words turn sticky in her throat until Yaz loses patience, shifting back and storming towards the hallways. “Where are you going?”

“Away.” Yaz’s answer comes with the noise of a door slamming shut, and the Time Lord runs a hand down her face, letting her shoulders slump in defeat. 

***************

Yaz breathes out a strangled sigh when the door closes behind her. She stands in the threshold, eyes wandering around her bedroom. 

Her belongings are in the exact spot where she left them before their trip to Shamboli, but there's an unpleasant difference in the atmosphere. A heavy shadow that taints the usual comfort she draws from that space, and water pools in her eyes while Yaz wonders if the ship will ever truly feel like home again, without two of her best friends. 

Her thoughts shift back to her home on Earth as she ponders the Doctor's first question. Does she want to go back to Sheffield? 

The question is barely formed in her mind, before the reality of entering her family's flat in Park Hill floods her senses... The smell of her dad's latest attempt at cooking, the sound of Sonya yelling about how Yaz should _really_ move out - she has a steady job, what is she waiting for -, and the feel of Najia's arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. A tear slowly trickles down her cheek as she longs for the comfort of her mum's embrace. 

She brushes it away, cutting the string of pleasant memories short when she remembers what always follows her mother's greeting. Cringing at the thought of the incessant flow of questions the older woman will throw in her direction, she sighs. The interrogation would last until Yaz could provide answers deemed satisfactory by Najia herself. 

Yaz gulps when an avalanche of words assaults her imagination. "How was work? Where we you? Who were you with? Have you seen your new friends again? Are you sure you're not dating one of them? Are you all right? Why are you sad? Yaz? Yaz?"

The mere prospect of Najia's relentless worries sends her mind reeling, and Yaz's hands start to shake against the solid surface of the door. All she wants is a bit of quiet to deal with the waves of sadness that threaten to overwhelm her. She doesn't have the energy to explain, only a deep need for someone to comfort and hold her, lightening the burden of loneliness that rests heavily on her shoulders. 

When the persistent background hum grows louder in the room, the police officer glances at the ceiling, confused by the TARDIS' behavior. It's only when the door unlocks behind her back and the lights flicker off - leaving Yaz to frown unhappily in the dark - that the ship's message sinks in. 

There _was_ someone ready to offer support - or at least companionship - until Yaz pushed the Doctor away. The thought sends a burst of frustration through her mind, when she remembers how her friend avoided her every questi...

Oh.

Yaz breathes out loudly and turns to face the door. Biting back her own annoyance at the realization that poorly timed interrogations run in her family, she slips out of the room and makes her way back into the TARDIS' hallways. 

***************

When she enters the control room, Yaz finds the Doctor in the same place where she left her, hair a touch more ruffled and glaring at the TARDIS with a level of open anger she can't remember the alien ever displaying.

"I'm not asking you to go anywhere specific, just give me something to do." The Doctor snaps in a low tone. "I'm sure someone needs help somewhere." Her voice shakes on the last word, before she hits the palm of her hand against the console. 

If Yaz is going to sleep, the Doctor is going to keep busy. Dwelling on a recent loss always ends in a flurry of dark thoughts tainted by self hatred, as she's reminded of everyone she ever failed to save. 

Starting with River. 

Of course immediately running into danger after watching friends die has lead to some of her most reckless decisions, but that's really not the poi...

"You're in no state to help anyone." Yaz remarks, signaling her return to the Time Lord. 

The Doctor goes very still, shoulders tense and fingers clinched around one of the lever. "Yaz? I thought you wer..."

"Sorry. For pushing." She cuts off, stepping forwards until she's standing at the Doctor's side. "We'll talk later." Yaz adds, determined to continue their previous conversation in the near future.

The blond nods, tentatively. "Do you need something?" 

"I was thinking about going home." Yaz notices the Doctor's sharp intake of breath at the announcement - almost like she's bracing herself to accept her companion's decision - but doesn't bring it up. "About seeing my family again. But they won't..." She frowns, shaking her head. "Understand. As far as they know, I see Ryan and Graham a couple of times every week." 

The Doctor nods again, eyes carefully glued to the TARDIS' control panel. 

"They'll think it's weird, that I'm heartbroken over people I'm not close with." Yaz's gaze falls to floor. "They can't..." Trailing off, she searches for words that would describe the magnitude of what her family can't grasp. Tears of frustration fill her eyes when she realizes there's no word that can describe the absolute trust born out of shared adventures through space and time.

"I know. I'm sorry, Yaz. I never meant to..." The Doctor cuts off, exhaling loudly. "Every time I lose someone, I tell myself I should travel alone. Watching my friends die is exhausting." 

Hesitating, she chances a quick glance towards her companion. "Not that they're all dead. But forcing someone back into a normal life on Earth after showing them how amazing the universe can be... It's not much better." The alien pauses again, fighting back the memory of Donna Noble. "I'm too selfish to stop." _And too dangerous on my own._

"It would be lonely." Yaz points out, halting the flow of self depreciating thoughts swirling through the Time Lord's head. "To see everything by yourself, I mean. You'd get lonely." The Doctor shrugs, and Yaz continues. "I'm glad you didn't stop."

The declaration snaps the blond's eyes to the younger woman's for the first time since she reentered the room. "Really? Even after..." She trails off with a vague hand movement, motioning to the emptiness of the ship. 

"Yes." Yaz answers confidently, cutting through the tense atmosphere.

The Doctor purses her lips, taking the tiniest step to the side and gripping her friend's shoulders. Yaz's hands find her elbows and they stare at each other for a moment of quietly shared grief, before the Time Lord gathers the shorter woman against her chest, drawing her into an unexpected hug. 

Yaz gasps, screwing her eyes shut in a poor attempt to hold back the tears that start sliding down her cheeks, the moment she's surrounded by warmth and a surprising sense of safety. 

"Thank you fo..." The Doctor clears her throat, the end of her sentence lost in the midst of guilt-ridden heartache.

“I’m still mad at you.” Yaz says, words muffled against the cotton of the alien’s shirt. 

“I know.” 

Her voice drops, Yaz pausing before she confesses the feeling tugging at the edge of her conscious thoughts. “But I need you.”

“I know.” The reply is a quiet whisper, only discernible in the room’s eerie silence. 

Yaz’s breathing slows, her heart rate going back to its regular steady rhythm for the first time since Graham fetched the Doctor and her from the TARDIS. Minutes tick by, while the combination of regretful memories and worried prospects of the future fade from her mind. 

Basking in what she knows is temporary respite, Yaz allows her thoughts to narrow to the Doctor's fingertips tracing gentle patterns on the back of her vest. The soothing touch grounds her mind to the present, like the anchor of a ship in a raging storm. Her eyes flutter shut, and before she notices the wave of exhaustion flowing through her brain, she's lost in slumber.

When the Doctor feels Yaz melt into the embrace, she tilts her head down and notices the younger woman’s closed eyelids. With a mix of relief and dread at the idea of being alone, she shifts her right arm to wrap around Yaz’s shoulders more securely. Seconds away from bending and placing the other one under her knees, she freezes when the TARDIS shuts the access to the hallways. 

“What are you doing?” She whispers, mindful of her friend's light sleep. 

The door that closed locks with a loud click, drawing a weak protest from the Doctor. “It’s not funn...” She trails off when Yaz murmurs softly, the meaning of her slurred words lost against her shirt. The Time Lord glares at the ceiling, switching to telepathic communication. 

“It’s not funny. I just want to get her back to her room.” The TARDIS’ only answer is stubborn silence. “Seriously? Yaz can’t sleep here. We’ve talked about this, humans need beds to sleep in.” 

Once it becomes obvious that the ship has no intention of letting either of them out of the control room, the Doctor bites back an exasperated sigh and glances around. The only furniture that would grant her some sort of support for her back is the console, and she resolves herself to sit on the ground. 

Gently lowering Yaz to the floor, she sprawled out besides her and leans back against the cold metal. Legs crossed at the ankles and eyes drifting to the central column, the Time Lord is left alone with her thoughts...

Until her friend’s head falls to the side, landing against the Doctor’s shoulder.

Seeing Yaz nestle her cheek against her upper arm, the Doctor lets out a silent sigh before adjusting her position. In her sleep, the dark haired woman shifts closer and claims back her spot against the alien’s collarbone. 

All the shuffling stirs Yaz closer to consciousness, and a furrow creases her forehead with the fearful whisper that comes tumbling down her lips. 

“You’re all right, I’m here.” The Doctor breathes out, with a kiss pressed against her friend’s hairline. “I’ll protect you.” 

Closing her eyes against the persistent reminder that she failed to keep that same promise to Ryan and Graham, she wraps her arm around Yaz’s back with her hand falling low against her hip, before allowing the other woman’s regular breathing to pull her into restless sleep. 

***************

The first thing Yaz notices when she emerges from her thankfully dreamless sleep is the hard surface pressed against every part of her body. She frowns and blinks, finding herself sitting in the control room. 

Her back is resting against the console, head tilted to the side and leaning against the Doctor's shoulder, who has an arm thrown loosely around her. The situation is odd for a second, before Yaz remembers the previous day's events and lets out a long sigh. 

Tentatively getting up, Yaz looks down and realizes the alien is sleeping - for once - mouth half opened and brows knitted together even in slumber. She absentmindedly rubs the back of her neck, a bit lost about her next action. 

She would normally make her way to the kitchen, where she would find Graham making tea and trying to convince the Doctor that sugary cereals are _not_ a healthy choice for breakfast. Ryan would eventually join the group, sitting at the table and shoving spoonfuls of the very same cereals his granddad liked to complain about into his mouth, until he was awake enough to ask what the plan for the day was. 

Yaz's feet take her to the kitchen, where she looks at the empty table and breakfast bar until her eyes are blurry with tears. There would be no more playful banter over shared meals, and she finds herself longing for her two friends' easy company. 

Trying to busy herself, Yaz starts rummaging through the bare cupboards before realizing she's not hungry. She settles for tea, sparing a thankful thought for the TARDIS' kettle that boils water in less than a minute. Yaz hesitates when her cup is done, taking a slow sip before filling a second mug with tea, boiling water and a dangerous amount of sugar.

When she strolls back into the control room, the Doctor is still sleeping where she left her. Yaz slowly climbs the stairs, sliding to the floor in an attempt to join the alien under the console. She bumps her head against the edge in the process and lets out a mumbled complain. 

The muffled noise is enough to bring the Doctor out of her nap, blinking quickly. "Yaz?" 

"Here." The younger woman answers, putting one of the mugs between her hands. "For you." 

"Thanks." The Doctor replies. Unlike Yaz, the blond seems to immediately remember the loss of her two companions as she lets her eyes drop to the ground in uncharacteristic silence.

Both women sip their hot beverages, using the excuse for breakfast as a reason to stay still for a few more minutes. The daunting task of settling for a new destination hangs over their heads, until the Doctor breaks the heavy atmosphere. 

"Do you know how old I am?" Yaz's words from the day before replayed through her mind all night, and she woke up with a new determination to ease the younger woman's concerns. 

“How do you keep track? You're constantly traveling through time.” Yaz frowns, pondering the question. 

“Guess.” The Doctor replies, with the ghost of a smile. 

"Five hundred years old?” The human proposes, estimating from the amount of stories the woman always has to tell, and the impressive number of mates she seems to have in every corner of the universe. 

“I stopped counting when I reached two thousand. Well, when the Scotsman did. This face is about five years old.” 

“Fi... How? We met each other less than a year ago.” Yaz's mind narrows to the last part of the sentence, a bit overwhelmed at the idea of her best friend being millennia old. 

“I don’t muck about when I drop you home. There’s always something to see, or people to meet.” The Doctor shrugs. 

“Fair play to sort out.” Yaz adds, her own attempt to diffuse the tension in the room. She can guess where the alien's question is leading, and she knows they're on the brink of a relationship changing conversation. The realization sends her head spinning, and she forces a calming breath into her lungs. 

“That too.” The Time Lord agrees, with a tight smile. ”I can’t catch you up with two thousand years of living, Yaz. It’s impossible.” 

“I’m not asking you to.” The younger woman replies, a touch of impatience in her voice. “I don’t expect you to tell me every detail about your past. But you get this look sometimes...” 

Yaz trails off, remembering the haunted, profound grief that would flash through her friend’s eyes on occasion. “I want you to be honest with me.” The police officer inhales sharply as her thoughts click together. “Is all. I just want to be able to ask about your past without you spinning the conversation in five different directions to avoid answering.” 

Silence stretches over the room as the Doctor considers the request. “All right. I’ll do my best to be honest with you.” 

"No." Yaz objects, emboldened by the advice offered by River Song. The woman is still a stranger to her, but anyone who earned the Doctor's absolute faith has to be at least somewhat trustworthy. "It’s not enough. When I ask you a question, I expect an answer. No more 'I don't want to talk about it.' You have to trust me like I trust you, or this won't work." 

The lingering tension lasts even longer this time, until the Time Lord drops her head against the console. There's very little she would deny Yaz, and she finds herself unable to refuse, even with the looming prospect of digging up painful parts of her past. "Yeah. All right. I promise." 

The easy agreement stuns Yaz into silence, biting her lip as she battles with the temptation to test her friend’s resolution. 

“River Song was my wife.” The Doctor volunteers, remembering Yaz's line of questioning when she barged into the ship, the previous night. "I've known her for a really long time, it's why I trusted her." 

“Was?”

“Died the day I met her, when I had no idea who she was. What you saw yesterday was just an echo, a fragment of my memories projected by Shamboli.”

“Your wife died the day you met her.” Yaz repeats, too confused to bother with the rest of the explanation. "But you've known her a long time." 

“I wasn’t lying when I said it’s a long story.” The Doctor shrugs, with a tight smile. "She was a time traveler too." 

Yaz stares at the blond's profile, blinking. She never expected her friend to have a _wife_. Caught somewhere between a gnawing curiosity - how did River die? How did they meet? Was she human, or alien like the Doctor? - and her natural compassion, the dark haired woman breathes in sharply. 

Kindness wins Yaz’s inner battle when she decides there will be more time to ask questions, once the pain caused by the loss of Ryan and Graham fades a bit.

"Now what?" Yaz breaks the renewed silence, stifling the urge to cry at her own reminder of the two men's absence. 

"I don't know." The Doctor replies, shrugging. "I'm usually alone for that part." 

"Which part?" 

“The grieving part.”

Yaz stares at her silently, deep in thoughts. “How do you deal with it?” Her voice is low, as she struggles to keep emotions at bay. 

“I don’t. I run until I’m too busy to think about what I lost.” 

Yaz sniffles, brushing away the tears clinging to her eyelids. “We should leave.” 

“We should.” The Doctor agrees, standing and brushing imaginary dust from her trousers. She circles the console, glad to fall into her takeoff routine. 

With a last sideway glance to Ryan and Graham’s empty spot, the Time Lord sighs and reaches for the dematerialization lever. “Ready?”

Yaz watches the familiar dance from the floor, while the Doctor gets the TARDIS ready to fly. The question snaps her out of quiet observation, and she scrambles to her feet before approaching the console. “Do you want to do it together?”

The Doctor gulps when her own words are quoted, bringing back the night of their first proper trip away from Sheffield. She nods and gives a small smile as their hands touch. 

Yaz's skin is soft and warm against the Doctor’s, a startling contrast to the icy guilt lodged into her chest. Narrowing her thoughts to the contact, she tilts her head and meets brown eyes in silent understanding, before bringing the lever down and sending the ship flying through the time vortex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick clarification: I absolutely love Najia Khan (who doesn't?). But Yaz has already mentioned not being completely happy at home, and I think it would be really interesting to see the problems in their relationship.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to everyone who takes time to leave feedback! It really helps whenever I get stuck on a tougher part. I hope you all enjoy chapter 3!

"It's a castle!" Yaz exclaims, peering out of the TARDIS' doors. 

"What?" The Doctor answers, tumbling down the stairs. "What sort of castle, we should be on beac..." She interrupts herself when she catches a glimpse of the landscape surrounding them. "Nope." 

Yaz frowns, turning to see the blond's retreating back as she walks up to the console. "No what? Can't we go in there?" 

"Not happening. I promised you a beach, didn't I?" 

She did ask for a beach, acknowledges the police officer. They spent the last week alternating between Mars and the moon, observing the first human settlements in space. Watching astronauts struggle to figure out simple day to day tasks - with the Doctor offering insights on how technology would eventually improve their lifestyle - had been amusing, and a good distraction to forget about the two missing members of their family. 

Both women are coming to terms with the loss of Ryan and Graham, but the new awkwardness coloring their relationship leaves a bitter taste in Yaz's mouth. She can only hope it's temporary, and that the loaded glances and tentative conversations between them will fade over time. 

Even on her first day aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor was always easy to talk to. The alien would listen to her ramble about her job or about how annoying her family could be, hazel eyes sparkling with sharp intelligence taking in every word. The feeling was intoxicating, and it made Yaz feel like the most important person in the universe. 

Not anymore. The Doctor isn't necessarily ignoring her, but she isn't seeking her company either. Hours of drifting in the Time Vortex in between landings are spent apart, the alien busy tinkering with her ship when Yaz can even find her. 

Her own free time is filled with either wandering around - a recurring activity since Yaz noticed the TARDIS' efforts to steer her towards the human friendly rooms - or working out, poor attempts to exhaust herself enough to get a few hours of sleep. The ship's solicitous attitude helps with the loneliness, but it does nothing to mend what's broken between Yaz and the Doctor, leaving the younger woman powerless. 

The situation reminds her of the time she broke her mum's favorite mug - part of a wedding gift from Yaz's granddad - when she was a child. She still remembers a six year old version of herself holding pieces of broken porcelain between clumsy fingers, glancing up to find Najia's teary eyes watching. Little Yaz apologized, but she had no idea how to make the water pooled in her mum's gaze disappear. Realizing there was nothing she _could_ do left a sinking feeling of helplessness in her stomach that she can recall to this day. 

The memory of Najia's mug is looping through her mind as she watches the Doctor silently twiddle with levers on the console. That's the worst part, thinks Yaz. The silence. The complete and absolute sense of quiet that fills the cracks of their broken relationship whenever they're not busy, disturbed only by the sound of the TARDIS humming or their boots hitting the metallic floor. 

Yaz has no idea how to bridge this new gap between them, and after a few days of threading softly - she was trying to give the Doctor some space to grieve - she decides that she's done waiting for the other woman to reach out. 

"Doctor?" 

The interruption breaks the Time Lord's negotiations with the TARDIS, the telepathic struggle to convince the ship to take off ending in stalemate. Snapping her eyes to her companion's, she waits for Yaz to speak again. 

"Why can't we go see that castle?" 

The Doctor runs a tired hand down her face, forcing herself to keep looking at the dark haired woman. 

Facing Yaz has been harder recently, and the time where she could barely keep her eyes off her seems like a distant memory. Humans broadcast their feelings with such raw honesty, and Yaz's eyes are full of grief, and longing and _hope_ she isn't sure she can fulfill. 

Because the sad combination of emotions is a constant reminder that Yaz is _human_. A beautiful, kind and brilliant woman, who's also fragile and so very fleeting. 

Losing Ryan and Graham brought back the familiar heartache that comes with saying goodbye to friends. That mix of guilt and sadness - with just a dash of anger - is disturbing, but manageable. Losing Yaz wouldn't be that simple already, the Doctor can only imagine how devastating the impact would be, if their friendship turned into something more. It's a risk she isn't sure she's willing to take. 

Except. 

Except River's memory is shouting at her to take it. _Our time ended, Doctor. Stop living off the hope of meeting one of my ghosts again._ River is right, of course. Her wife is possibly the only person in the universe to know more than her. 

Was. The Time Lord corrects her own thoughts with a sigh. To be fair, she made a conscious effort to grieve the loss of River Song. The gaping hole that tore through her hearts when she left Darillium slowly morphed into a scar that would send the occasional bittersweet memory through her mind. 

There's one last step she still hasn't allowed herself, at least not yet. Eyebrows made the decision easy with his distaste for romance, but this face... With a sharp inhale of breath, she hides her hands in her trousers' pockets. This face is longing for the sort of intimacy granted by her relationship with River. 

Which brings her back to the beginning of her own mental tangent, to her friend's barely hidden desire for the same thing. Looking at Yasmin Khan is a conundrum in itself, and the Doctor is threading the very thin line between salvaging what remains of their friendship and putting some distance between them to protect herself. 

And that's exactly why she's not willing to put the younger woman in more danger than absolutely necessary. She always stumbles into some sort of trouble, even on good days, but there is no reason to go visit the Castle of Granite Bay. 

"Too dangerous." 

Yaz frowns at the careless answer, watching the Doctor's attention narrow back to the console. "It never stopped us before. What's so risky?" 

"We're on Tuv, and that's the Castle of Granite Bay. Tuvians organize a feast in there every decade, where they invite people from all over the universe. Guests who turn up are never seen again. I'm guessing someone..." She trails off, eyes raising to the ceiling. "Wants us to investigate."

The delivery lacks the Doctor's usual flair for dramatics, but Yaz only nods. There's a sense of normalcy in the explanation, for the first time since Graham and Ryan left. She knows how this situation will unfold, exactly like she knew the Doctor would eventually cave and take her to Pakistan. 

"People are disappearing, and you want to leave." Yaz points out, confident. 

"Don't want you to disappear too." The Time Lord fires back, an unfamiliar sharp edge to her tone. 

"Why would I? Am I going alone?" 

The question snaps the Doctor's eyes back to Yaz, shadowed with a mix of irritation and concern. "'Course not. We're _both_ leaving, and the TARDIS will find a safer place for us to visi..."

"Is that what we do now?" Yaz pushes, allowing her disagreement to show in her voice. "Space tourism?" 

"If it's what it takes to keep you safe."

"Doctor, listen to me." She makes a conscious effort to soften her voice. "You'll be with me. Nothing bad is going to happen. We'll go in and sort out whatever happens in that castle, like we always do. Are you really going to turn your back on people who might need help?" Yaz prods, biting her lip as she waits for an answer. 

"We don't even have clothes." The Doctor mutters, and Yaz muffles a smile when she realizes she asked the right question. "They have a very strict dress cod..." Before she can finish her sentence, two bundles of folded clothes come flying through the access to the TARDIS' hallways. The Doctor blinks, sighing. "Traitor." 

Yaz's smile widen, happy to see a glimpse of the alien's usual banter with the ship. She hasn't exactly stopped talking to the TARDIS since Graham and Ryan disappeared, but their communication is either silent, or limited to very serious exchanges of information. 

The Doctor lets out another deep sigh, pursing her lips. "You're not leaving my side." She warns, and the police officer is caught between indignation - she can take care of herself - and the familiar rush of adrenaline that comes with facing potential danger. 

The furrow still wrinkling the Doctor's forehead draws a gentler response out of her. "Thank you."

The Time Lord nods reluctantly and turns to the bundles of clothes, throwing one in Yaz's direction. The younger woman catches it with one hand, already sprinting towards the TARDIS' corridors to go change in her room.

***************

Yaz tugs on the collar of the zipped up jacket, snickering as she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. The Tuvians' definition of formal clothing is almost identical to the cliché space uniforms worn in Earth sci-fi shows. Hers is a shade of deep red, complete with burgundy trousers and a plain white shirt under the brighter jacket. She adjusts the way it falls on her shoulders and laces a pair of brown boots before returning to the control room.

The Doctor is waiting for her, leaning against the console as she fiddles with the sleeve of her own deep blue uniform. "Looks awful. I knew there was a reason I've been avoiding Tuv for so long." 

The TARDIS groans, and Yaz bites her lip as she picks up on the hint of exasperation. "See, even the TARDIS is tired of us. Come on." 

The human doesn't look back, striding to the ship's entrance when she hears the Doctor's trailing footsteps behind her. She pauses, waiting while the alien locks the door behind them, before starting towards the castle. The blond joins her on the narrow path that forces them to walk closer than Yaz would like. 

Putting some physical distance between them is a defense mechanism the human developed when she noticed the Doctor pulling away from their friendship. The decision still weighs heavily on her shoulders, sending a haunting ache through her fingers whenever she has to stifle the instinct to reach out to her friend. Her efforts are worth the pain, if only to avoid feeling the Doctor flinch away from her touch. 

With a quiet sigh, Yaz redirects her thoughts to their surroundings. The path leading to the fortress twists into gentle slopes, lightened by torches strategically scattered on its edges. The oddly green fire throws an eerie atmosphere over the landscape, drawing a shiver out of Yaz despite the warm temperature. The Doctor catches the reaction from the corner of her eyes and launches herself into an explanation about the color of the fire, the easy rhythm of her speech settling Yaz's gloomy hunch. 

Their stroll comes to a stop when they join the crowd gathered near the gates, and the dark haired woman muffles a gasp against the palm of her hand when she gets a proper look at the other guests. Seeing so many different alien species crammed together in the same place is always striking, but something about this flow of completely different people freezes her. Her eyes widen a little more when they line up behind a couple of women with two heads, as they wait to have their identity verified by the team of security guards blocking access to the reception room. 

"Milnovians." The Doctor whispers, realizing where Yaz's attention is. "Two heads, two livers, two stomachs, but only one lung."

"That... Can't be practical." The younger woman remarks, frowning.

"Nice people, bit intense. And never ask about thei..." Before Yaz can learn what she shouldn't ask Milnovians, a bearded man standing in front of the gate interrupts their conversation. 

"Can I see your invitation, please?" He drawls out, the boredom in his voice matching his emotionless gaze. Yaz's frown deepens while the Doctor flashes the psychic paper. "Doctor and Mrs Smith, welcome to the Castle of Granite Bay."

Yaz chokes on a breath of air, while the Doctor shakes her head. "No, we're not... Not together. Not married." 

"Move along, please." The man simply answers, obviously not interested in the details of their relationship. "Have a nice evening. Can I see your inv..."

His voice trails off in the distance when the Doctor gently guides Yaz forwards, a hand wrapped around her elbow. They pass the gates and enter the reception room, where the younger woman heads for the first empty corner she can find, while the Time Lord amiably follows. They stand silently side by side for a second, before Yaz speaks. 

"You showed him the psychic paper, right?" 

"Yes." 

"The same paper that shows people whatever explanation they expect to read?"

"Yes."

"And that man saw Doctor..." 

"And Mrs Smith. Yep." The Time Lord completes, blinking quickly. 

The misunderstanding is not particularly remarkable, - it happened before - but Yaz stifles a chuckle against her hand. The absurdity of someone mistaking them for a married couple when they're going through the hardest patch of their friendship strikes her as funny. 

"Do you think he was confused by how I can't look at you for more than three consecutive seconds, or by how you're avoiding any kind of physical contact?" 

The Doctor's usual blunt honesty is the final straw, and Yaz dissolves in a fit of laughter, bending over to put her hands against her knees. Part of her is aware that the man's mistake wasn't _that_ funny, but she forces the inner voice away. The permanent stressful tension she's been living under took a toll on her mental state, and relieving the pent up emotions knotting her chest is freeing. 

Laughter dying down, Yaz straightens her back and glances at the Doctor. The gentle grin looking back at her makes her breath catch in her throat, their silent stare stretching until she blinks. "That was more than three seconds."

"Well, you're holding my hand." 

Yaz glances down, surprised to find her own fingers grasping the Doctor's left hand. Her eyes meet the blond's again, and she squeezes the palm pressed against hers, feeling their fingers tangle as she ignores the sense of relief flooding her brain. 

"Is there a reason for the psychic paper to say we're married?" Yaz finally asks, forcing herself to break the moment. "Maybe the party is only for married people." 

"Think he's just a bit thick." The Doctor replies, scanning the room. "There are plenty of people alone." She says, pointing to two unaccompanied men on opposite sides. 

"But no groups." Yaz remarks. "Either couples or people who came alone. That's weird." 

"Is it? Party invitations usually don't come with a plus five." 

"Hm." Yaz nods, acknowledging the argument. "What was the Smith about though? Why Doctor Smith?" 

"It's my human name. John Smith." Yaz snickers, and the Doctor frowns. "What?" 

"You'll need a new one, John." She replies, stressing the name. 

"Aw, Yaz." The Time Lord protests, scrunching her face when she catches on. "I like it. Why can't humans move on from the gender thing?" 

The banter is achingly familiar, and there's a brief moment where Yaz thinks she's about to cry. She swallows through the embarrassing feeling and clears her throat, settling on a playful response. 

"You do know nobody is really named John Smith, don't you?"

"Well, I was. And since we're married, you really shouldn't b..." 

"Shut up." Yaz shoves her shoulder, fighting the beginning of a blush creeping up her face. "Now what?" She twists her head, getting a proper look at her surrounding for the first time. 

There's a massive table covered in food at one end of the room, but the rest of the space is left empty to allow the crowd to mingle. The combined light of moon and stars filter through the tall glass ceiling, and the walls are made of some sort of dark stone. 

"How many guests would you say there are?" The Time Lord asks, lowering her voice. 

Yaz frowns, shifting her attention from the decor to the people moving around them. "I don't know. A couple hundreds?" 

"At least." The Doctor agrees, watching the constant flow of aliens filling the reception hall. "How can you make hundreds of people disappear in one night?" 

"You can kill them. Bodies are easier to hide." Yaz suggests practically, and the Time Lord scrunches her nose. 

"You're spending too much time with Ryan." The answer lands heavily between them, but the dark haired woman decides to focus on the good memory brought back by the mention of her friend. 

"Wait until I start playing his video games." The Doctor smiles, and Yaz hurriedly redirects the conversation. "What's your best guess?" 

"Well, you're not wrong. There's no way to keep that massive crowd under control without an army, and they only have a few security guards. Either they do kill everyone..." 

"Comforting." Yaz interrupts, frowning. 

"Or people are being held somewhere." 

"Maybe we can find them!" Yaz exclaims, but the Doctor shakes her head. 

"Doubt it. There's one party every ten years, remember? I don't know what happened to the last people who disappeared, but I don't think they're still here." 

Frustrated by the circling conversation, Yaz lets out a loud breath. "All right. What do we do?" 

"We could explore the room, see if there's any trap. Or try to see if the guests have anything in common." The Doctor suggests, waiting for Yaz's decision. 

"I take the crowd, you check the room." 

The Time Lord frowns. "I've told you, we stay togeth..." 

"We'll be in the same room, Doctor." Yaz starts, a touch of impatience flashing through her voice. "I'm sure you'll come running if someone tries to kidnap me." 

Yaz takes the halfhearted nod she receives as approval of her plan, and wanders off towards a couple of winged aliens she noticed earlier. The Doctor watches her go, reluctantly stepping away to take a look at the offered feast. Poisoning the food would be a clever way to subdue hundreds of people at the same time.

***************

Yaz blinks quickly in an attempt to stay alert, caught into a conversation with a very tall man. His low voice drawls every syllable of every word he speaks, as he discusses the state of his home planet in harsh terms, - something about a democratic government shifting into a dictatorship - and the human has to make a conscious effort to listen for an opportunity to escape his speech.

Her chance comes with a loud noise traveling around the room and echoing through the stoned walls. The crowd freezes into a tense silence that stretches for a long moment, before most people realize the heavy gate slamming shut is the source. 

Yaz forces her spine to loosen, before drifting away from the boring alien, jumping when her back hits someone. She glances over her shoulders to apologize, smiling when she finds a pair of frantic hazel eyes looking back at her. 

"Coming to save me from evil doors?" The Doctor stays quiet, gaze shifting across the crowded space. "Did you find something?" 

"Good news is, it's not the food." She falls silent again, and Yaz waits. The dark haired woman can almost see the cogs turning in the Doctor's head, and she knows the alien would be pacing by now, if she had enough room. 

Their friendship might be in a tough spot - though things are looking up, if the evening is any indication - but working with the Doctor has always been easy. They fell into a comfortable rhythm somewhere on Desolation, and that sense of balance never wavered. 

When the Doctor freezes, back straight and eyes widened, Yaz knows to prompt for more information. "Is there bad news?" 

"Hyploconium." 

"Wh..." 

"Sleep inducing gas. Works for every organic species, very powerful. And it's filling the room right now." 

Yaz glances towards the entrance, watching as a dozen security guards promptly line up to block access to the gates and slide protective masks over their head. "They won't let us leave, will they?" She asks, with an exasperated sigh. 

"Probably not." The Doctor says, scrunching her nose. "Sorry?"

"Why? You always say the best way to learn about a trap is to trigger it." Yaz shrugs, her hands finding the Doctor's shoulders. She waits until they're facing each other, eyes meeting in a serious gaze. "Listen, you need t..." The police officer pauses, frowning when she notices the regular up and down motion of the taller woman's chest. "What are you doing?" 

"Listening... To you?" The Doctor tentatively replies, confused. 

"Stop breathing in the poisonous gas!" Yaz snaps, and the Time Lord shakes her head. 

"Why? I'm getting into that trap with you, I alr..." 

"Don't you think you have a better chance of making sure I'm safe, if you _pretend_ to be unconscious?" Yaz asks, and the Doctor's voice turns sheepish. 

"Good point." She fills her lungs with oxygen, before allowing her respiratory bypass system to kick in, isolating the reserve of air as her companion starts talking again. 

"All right. I was going to tell you to stay with me, but..." Yaz trails off, swallowing through a burst of dizziness that weakens her knees. "That's not going to be fun, is it?" 

The Doctor offers a tight smile, eyes shifting as she searches for a way to communicate while holding her breath. When her attention returns to Yaz, her friend is blinking quickly, a shadow of fear lurking into her warm brown irises.

The sight is enough to freeze every rational thought flying through her head, and she gently cups Yaz's cheeks, bringing their foreheads together. A rush of protectiveness flows through her with the sensation of fingers clutching into the thin material of her jacket. 

The Time Lord holds Yaz's gaze until her eyelids flutter shut and her body slumps forwards, unconscious. Shuffling away to find a strategic viewpoint of the room, the Doctor’s back hits the cold stone of a wall as more people fall around her. 

When she slides to the ground to join the majority of the crowd, the Doctor makes sure her arms are still firmly wrapped around Yaz's shoulders, her friend’s head resting against her chest. With a last silent promise to the younger woman, she closes her eyes and allows her body to go limp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I'll try to balance the progression of their relationship with adventures that are a little closer to what we see in DW episodes. You can expect a slow-ish build (mostly because there's so much character development to do). I just don't think it would make sense to have them act completely normal with each other, when they're still both struggling with grief.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s part 4! Thank you to anyone still reading/leaving kudos :-) !

Frantic rush of feet hitting the ground. 

Bodies crashing against the marble floor. 

Gasps of shocked guests passing out.

And then nothing, except the loud, reassuring beats of Yaz's single heart echoing against her own body. 

The Doctor is busy monitoring every sound in the reception room, when she catches the noise of rubber sliding against skin. Cracking her eyes open, she starts breathing again once she notices guards ridding themselves of their protective masks. The air still smells of rusty metal, and she has to stop her own hands from fidgeting in the heavy silence. 

"I hate this part." 

The mumbled comment comes from the Doctor's left, where a blond man is hitting an instrument that looks like a gun against the palm of his hand. 

Frowning, she runs through the few escape options available while he points the weapon towards a guest slumped on the floor. It beeps quietly, and the man looks at the object before announcing. "Gifftan, male." He raises his head and looks around. "Single, I believe." 

"Gifftan, male, single." Another voice repeats, and the Doctor tilts her head to see a smaller woman - red hair, short and surprisingly young - confirm the information, as she offers what looks like a bracelet to the first man.

He fastens it around the Gifftan's wrist, before a second team of guards starts wandering through the room, taking away the few prisoners already wearing a bracelet. 

They repeat the same process with another unconscious body, and the Doctor freezes when she realizes they're cataloging people's species. 

At best, being the Last of the Time Lords is going to end in a meeting with whoever is in charge of this place. At worst, she'll get caught up in some sort of experiment, and this lot doesn't seem particularly bothered with consent.

"Look at that! This one has no heart." The man's voice is closer now, and the Doctor shifts to keep him in her narrow line of sight. 

"What do we do?" 

"I'll flag him in the system." He moves to the opposite side of the room for a second, and the Doctor uses the time to think.

If their cataloging system is based on information about the heart - which would be clever, since heart rate or placement varies wildly from one species to the other - she can pass as human. 

With a frustrated sigh, she slowly moves her hand to the inner pocket of her jacket to grasp the Sonic. Careful to keep her palm close to her body, she presses the end of the screwdriver against herself, takes another deep breath and activates the orange glow. 

Biting back a gasp as a wave of energy explodes through her chest, she growls low in her throat when her right heart stops beating. 

The urge to twitch with the sharp pain echoing through her spine is hard to ignore, but the Doctor forces herself to stay still. Footsteps growing louder signal the man’s return to her corner of the room, the younger guard on his heels. 

A shadow blocks the artificial light over her face, before someone roughly grabs Yaz's shoulders. It takes every bit of the Doctor's concentration to stifle her protective instinct when they're separated, the dark haired woman now laying on her back as the man points his scanner in her direction. 

"Human, female." He calls out, eyes drifting to the blond. "Are they together?" The Doctor's toes tense in her boots, ready to kick the man's instrument out of his hands if he finds the wrong answer to his own question. 

"Yeah, look." The woman points to Yaz. "That's sweet." 

The Doctor peers through her left eye - hidden behind a few locks of displaced hair - and barely holds back a smile when she sees her unconscious friend searching for the solid body she was resting against, calming only when her fingers find the Time Lord's bicep and curl into her sleeve. _Clever girl._

"Whatever. Let me just check..." He trails off, and the alien feels the light of his scanner move towards her. "Human, female. Both mated." The guard adds, watching his colleague enter the information in two bracelets she fastens around the Doctor and Yaz's wrists. 

When they walk away to continue their work, the blond narrows her attention to the easy rhythm of Yaz breathing against her upper arm. The regular puffs of air warm her skin through her jacket, a welcomed distraction from the constant pain radiating through her chest. 

She forgot how miserable functioning with one heart makes her feel, and she's almost happy when the second team of guards approaches them. 

A pair of hands grip her ankles, another slipping under her arms to take off her colorful jacket, leaving the Doctor in her thin cotton shirt when she's lifted off the ground. A third person checks her wrist before speaking. "C-13. Both of them." 

Satisfied by the cryptic instructions, she shifts her attention to the route they're taking through the building. They go down a short flight of stairs, turn right when they reach the bottom and walk through a straight corridor for almost a full minute. 

When they pause, the sound of a card sliding into a lock and a soft beep breaks the silence. The person holding her ankles grunts - presumably pushing against a door - and the Doctor finds herself dropped against a soft surface. 

The door opens again when another team brings Yaz in, leaving her somewhere on the Time Lord's right side. Waiting until the noise of footsteps fades away, she opens her eyes and observes the new room. 

What she finds draws a confused frown out of the Doctor. The walls are made of wood, with light colored planks assembled horizontally. She's laying on a single bed, over a thin blanket and a lumpy pillow under her head. 

There's a fireplace in the corner of the room, complete with a supply of logs on the side and a window hidden by old, pink curtains. The rest of the space is filled with kitchen appliances and what looks like a television screen. 

If she didn't know better, she would swear they were back on Earth, having a holiday in a nice cabin somewhere in the woods. Northern Europe, maybe. Or Australia. Her thoughts drift a bit, imagining what a simple vacation with Yaz would be like, before she catches herself and clears her throat. 

They're still prisoners from this space, and the faster she finds a way out, the faster they can understand what's happening in the castle. 

Nodding to herself, she shuffles on the bed to get up, freezing when a sharp wave of pain steals her breath. She bends at the waist with a soft whimper, before forcing her body to lay down again and blinking away the water pooled in her eyes.

"At least it's a nice prison." The words are lost in the silence, and the Doctor folds her hands together, stuck waiting for Yaz's help to restart her heart.

***************

Yaz's eyelids flutter, and she groans at the headache pounding against her temples. She's laying on her back, and the ceiling of this new room is made of wood. 

Swallowing, she winces at the feeling of cotton in her mouth. It turns her words sticky, forcing Yaz to move her arms to try and get a sense of where she is.

The Doctor catches the movement from the corner of her eyes, glad to see the younger woman stirring awake. "How are you feeling?" She whispers, but Yaz still shakes her head. 

"Too loud. Shh." 

"All right." The Time Lord replies amiably, blinking through a sharp jolt of pain. Silence lingers, while the blond narrows her attention to the regular rhythm of her own breathing.

Yaz progressively grows more alert, allowing her gaze to travel around her surroundings. "Why are we in a cabin? Have you looked outside?" She asks, noting the thick curtains covering the window, as she shifts her weight to her elbows to glance at the Doctor. 

They're both laying on small single beds - that look more fitted for children than adults - separated only by a bedside table. 

"I can't. Bit of a problem, if you could lend me a hand. Or two, you probably need two hands for this." 

"What?" Yaz's thoughts are too fuzzy to keep up with the rambling alien, and she frowns with a sigh. 

"Had to stop one of my hearts, to pass as human." The Doctor explains, casual. 

"You, what?" She practically shouts, stumbling out of bed. Her legs are weak, and she falls to the ground, catching herself with an arm gripping the mattress of the Doctor's bed. 

"Are you all right?" Concerned eyes find Yaz's, who lets out an annoyed breath. 

"I'm not the one having a heart attack." Her frown deepens and she shuffles on her knees until they’re nose to nose. "You're not going to die on me, are you?" 

"Nope. I've done it loads of time. It's just painful. Annoying too, because I can't move properl..." She gasps when a particularly intense bolt of pain echoes through her chest. "As I was saying, painful. Mind helping?" 

"Of course not." Yaz answers, thumb rubbing against the Doctor's wrist when she twitches with pain. "Tell me what to do." 

"Help me sit up." The dark haired woman climbs shakily on the bed, guiding the Doctor to lean against her, forehead resting against Yaz's collarbone. "All right, hit me."

"You want me to... Hit you?" The human repeats, confused. 

"Yep. Twice, in the back." 

Yaz hesitates, gingerly touching the Doctor's shoulder blades, before hitting her palm against her back. 

"Yaz, you have to restart my right heart. Think CPR sort of hit." 

The police officer remembers her first aid classes in training with a nod. The second hit is a solid thump, and Yaz feels a pulse coming to life under the thin cotton shirt. 

She remarks the absence of the blue jacket the Doctor was wearing - glancing down at herself to see she's missing her own red uniform - before repeating the motion, drawing a satisfied groan out of her friend. 

"Ah, thank you. I don't know how you lot live with one heart, it's so... Quiet." The Doctor says, nose scrunched. 

"All right, don't start going on about your superior alien biology again." Yaz fires back. "Where are we?" 

"Still in the castle. They brought us from the reception room, to... Here." 

"But why a cabin? What do they want?" 

"I have no idea." She briefly fills in the younger woman about the guards' odd behavior in the reception hall. 

"Want to go investigate?" Yaz asks, ready to find out what's happening. 

"As soon as you can stand up, sure." The Doctor replies with a knowing smirk, and the police officer sighs when she realizes her senses are still hazy. "Hyploconium has secondary effects. Give your body a chance to recover." 

Yaz offers a silent, disgruntled nod. Her eyes trail off to the new bracelet adorning her wrist, and she twists her arm to read the writing. 

"Female/Human/Mated."

Ignoring her raising flush at the last word, she checks the Doctor's tag, distractedly tracing the letters on the blond's cuff with the tips of her fingers. 

"You're not though." 

"What?" The Doctor's attention snaps back to Yaz, brought out of the multiple theories swirling through her brain. "Not what?" 

"Human." Yaz answers, meeting the hazel eyes with quiet determination. "What’s your species?" 

Their loaded stare stretches, a silent battle of wills that Yaz easily wins. With a resigned sigh, the Doctor rests her back against the headboard and draws her friend against her side, throwing an arm over her shoulders. She leans in, and Yaz's brain stutter with the feeling of words whispered against her ear.

"I'm a Time Lord."

"Time L..." Yaz starts, but finds her mouth covered by the cool skin of the Doctor's palm. 

"Shh. I don't want those people to know I'm not human." Yaz frowns, eyes insistently traveling through the _very_ empty room, before the Doctor explains. 

"There's at least one camera over the window. I don't know if they can hear us." She tentatively takes her hand back, and the dark haired woman lowers her voice when she speaks again. 

"You're a woman. How can you be a Lord?" 

The Doctor shrugs. "My people don't do gender. I had a friend who never regenerated into a woman's body, but she was still a Time Lady." 

"Time Lord." Yaz breathes out, trying out the word softly. "It doesn't suit you." 

The blond blinks, surprised. Most of her companions had a similar reaction - with different degrees of confusion and diplomacy - but it’s the first time anyone says it outright. "Guess not. It never did." 

"What do you mean?" 

"It's a long stor..." Yaz gives a silent, warning glare in answer, and the Doctor raises both hands in surrender. "Not trying to hide anything from you. It's literally a long story, runs over centuries. Do you want to get into my childhood while we're being held prisoner in a castle?" 

_Yes._

"Fine." Is the reluctant agreement Yaz settles on. "But tell me about your people, I need a distraction from the nausea." 

The sentence springs the Doctor into action, pressing the back of her hand to her friend's forehead. The skin feels cool to the touch, if a bit clammy. "Still dizzy?" 

"A bit, yeah." Yaz pauses, running a quick mental check of her symptoms. "And my head hurts." 

The Time Lord frowns. The gas used by Tuvians doesn't cause headaches in humans. She's about to reach for the Sonic for a scan, when she picks up on Yaz's heart skipping a beat, and understands what's affecting her friend. 

"When's the last time you ate?" 

"W..." Yaz trips over her words, pondering the question. "I don't... Know." She says, frowning when she realizes how much time has passed since her last meal. She thought she would get a chance to grab some food from the party, but the trap was triggered before she could even get a good look at the feast. 

"Today, right?" The Doctor prompts, with a similar look of concern. 

"I..." Keeping track of time aboard the TARDIS is a complicated task - especially with the time difference between every places they land into - and Yaz has long ago settled on eating whenever she’s hungry... Which hasn't been very often, over the last week. "No. I ate right before I went to sleep last night." 

"That's seventeen hours ago." The Time Lord protests. "If I know one thing about humans, it's that you lot need regular food or you just..." She trails off with a vague hand movement. "Wither. Hang on." 

"We're not plants, Doctor." Yaz corrects with an amused smile, as she watches the woman frantically search the pockets of her blue trousers. She retrieves an entire row of custard creams, offering the package to her friend. 

"What were you planning to do with that?" 

The Doctor shrugs. "Love biscuits. Never know when you might need a good one." 

"One, not thirteen." Yaz retorts, getting rid of the plastic wrap. "Share with me?" The Doctor hesitates, and she insists. "When's the last time you've eaten?" 

Yaz replies to the sheepish smile she receives by pulling a custard cream from the package, offering it to the blond with her best police officer stare. They share the snack in companionable silence, their previous discussion forgotten as Yaz notices just how hungry she is. 

"You know, Graham would be proud." The Doctor gives an intrigued look, and Yaz clarifies. "Of your food storing skills." 

The remark draws a grin out of the Time Lord. “I’ve never met anyone so obsessed with his meal schedule.” Her smile fades when she meets Yaz’s gaze. “Guess we’ll need a new schedule. You can’t survive eating once a day.” 

The younger woman swallows a mouthful of biscuit before answering with a sad shrug. “I know. It’s just... The TARDIS’ kitchen feels so empty.” 

“You should have told m...” The Doctor starts, trailing off when she sees Yaz’s raised eyebrow and grim expression. “Sorry. Just... If you want company when you eat, you can come find me.”

Mollified by the obvious peace offering - because no, she couldn’t have told the Doctor, not with the woman’s constant disappearances - Yaz nods and clears the crumbs from her hands. 

“All right. How do we get out of this room, and why does it look like a cabin?”

***************

When they realize the walls are made of a poor imitation of wood, the Doctor uses the Sonic to unlock the door. Peering through the entrance, she scans the hallway for any sort of security system. She finds only an empty corridor, nods, and turns to face Yaz as she clicks the door shut behind her.

"I can't see anyone." 

The police officer grins. "All right, let's go see if we can cause some tro..." Yaz steps forwards, but her wrist is caught by slim fingers before she reaches the exit. "Doctor?" 

The blond hesitates, gathering her thoughts with a frown. "I will tell you about my people, anything you want to know." _Almost._ "But you need to promise me something." 

"What?" Yaz tilts her head, curious.

"Ask. Don't look us up." 

"Wh..." Caught off guard, she can't even formulate a question before she's interrupted. 

"You wouldn't like what you'd find..." The Doctor's eyes harden and fall to the floor. "We're not good people, Yaz." 

She glances up, and Yaz's breath catch at the unexpected mix of anger and heartache looking back at her. Taking a second to consider the other woman's request, she nods. "I won't. But there's nothing I could find that would change my opinion of you." She states confidently, watching green-brown eyes snap back to hers. Drawing courage from the Doctor's surprised frown, she leans forwards and presses a kiss to the blond's cheek. "You're good." 

Yaz smiles gently and exits the room, leaving behind a fast blinking Time Lord touching her face with a stunned grin, before she scrambles to catch up with her friend.

***************

After a few minutes spent exploring identical, empty hallways, the Doctor spots a metallic door at the end of a short flight of stairs. Climbing up with Yaz on her heels, she makes quick work of the lock, and both women frown at the odd room they find themselves into.

The walls are lined up with rows of security monitors, showing a wide variety of rooms filled with different alien species. Recognizing some of the guests present at the reception, the human approaches the screens and observes how different each cell looks. A man is standing in the middle of a jungle, while the two Milnovians they encountered earlier are laying down in what seems to be an escape pod. 

Most people are still unconscious, but a few alien are stirring awake or carefully exploring their surroundings. The Doctor falls into a rolling chair, approaching a nearby computer and letting her fingers fly on the keyboard. 

"Where are we?" Yaz asks, walking over and leaning in to see the monitor over her shoulder. 

"I think..." The Doctor starts, scrolling through a list of species with basic information attached to each name. She searches for humans, and frowns when she finds a brief description of their lifestyle and natural habitat. "I think it's a zoo."

“A... Zoo? Someone organizes a party every decade, to fill their own personal zoo?” Yaz blinks. “They could at least warn guests." 

"Ask the wolves in the London Zoo if they were warned." The Doctor mutters, with the hint of a smile. 

"Oi, that's not..." The blond turns her head, waiting with a raised eyebrow. Yaz is still bent over, her chin almost resting on the Doctor's shoulder, and she struggles to think with their sudden proximity. "At least we don't put _people_ in our zoos." She clears her throat, trying to collect herself. "We have to free them, right? Can we do it from here?" 

"We could. But I want to have a little chat with whoever is in charge first." 

"How do you plan on doing that? Do you think they'll come running if you call?" Yaz replies, pointing to the abandoned radio next to the computer. 

The Doctor smirks. "They might." She sizes the object, fiddling with the main switch. "Remember when I told you I'm a Time Lord?" 

"Ten minutes ago, yes." Yaz nods, with a confused frown. "You didn't want anyone to know." 

"Changed my mind. Watch." The reply comes with a pressure against the radio's button. "Hello, is anyone listening?" Silent seconds tick by, until a woman's voice echoes through static noise.

"Who are you? How did you get this radio?" 

"I'd like to lodge a complain. See, my bracelet says I'm a human female." The Doctor starts, before being interrupted. 

"Your bracel... You're a guest. Where are you? I'm calling the security team."

"You could do that. Or you could call whoever is in charge, and tell them you've got a Time Lord willing to negotiate."

The static noise lingers for much longer this time, until a deeper voice comes out of the radio. "Time Lords are extinct." 

"Erm, sort of." The Doctor sighs. "But not really. I'm assuming you're in charge."

"You're lying." The voice replies, ignoring the comment.

"I do that sometimes, but not now. I'm sure you've heard the stories about the Last of the Time Lords. Running around the universe, causing trouble, annoying people..." 

"You're the Doctor." 

"Yes! Hello." She greets. "What's your name?" 

"I'm the Count of Granite Bay." The man replies, and his smile is audible through the radio. "Do you know how many people will rush here to see you?" 

Yaz grits her teeth at his gleeful tone, the hand she has resting on the Doctor's shoulder squeezing with the surge of protectiveness filling her chest. 

"Know what? I need a vacation anyway. Come here, and I'm sure we can negotiate something." 

"Of course. Where are you?" He asks, faux-politeness dripping from his voice. 

"Guessing it's your security office. Loads of screens, not a lot of people around." 

"I'm on my way."

The words are barely out of his mouth before the communication cuts short, leaving the Doctor and Yaz alone with their thoughts.

***************

"Hold on." Yaz begins, blinking quickly. "Did you just rile up a group of armed people, who wants nothing more than to make you the main attraction of their zoo?"

"Yep." The Doctor confirms with a smile. "And now they know where we are." 

"And you're happy about it too." Yaz remarks, sighing. "What's the plan?" 

"We'll see them coming, look." The blond points to the bottom row of screens on the wall, showing the hallways they were wandering through earlier. "I'll stay here, and when they're all inside the room, you lock the door."

"What about you?" The police officer frowns. "He was creepy, I'm not letting them do anything to y..."

"I'll get out, don't worry about me." The Doctor shrugs, distractedly patting the hand still resting on her shoulder. Not dwelling on Yaz's newfound determination to keep her safe, she turns back to the computer and scrolls through the list of available species until she finds her own. 

Curious, the Doctor opens the menu and scans the minimal information available about Time Lords' lifestyle. Most of it is based on speculations, and she scrunches her nose at their ridiculous estimation of the coordinates of her home planet. Her amusement ends abruptly when she catches the Gallifreyan character scribbled at the end of the paragraph. 

Feeling the Doctor's shoulder stiffens against her palm, Yaz brings her attention to the computer. "What's wrong?" She catches a glimpse of the rounded shape, frowning. "What does it mean?" 

"The Timeless Child was here, or is here." The Doctor's eyebrows knit together, as she tries to make sense of the scrawled lines. "Or will be here. Proper tenses are already hard to translate, and this is a bit of a mess." 

"Probably because it was written by a child." Yaz theorizes, snapping her eyes back to the monitors when she catches a glimpse of movement to her left. A group of armed soldiers is advancing towards the room, standing in front of a man dressed in a posh version of the uniforms worn by the guests. The pinned medals on his chest shine under the artificial lighting, and Yaz groans at the sight. 

"Hm." The Doctor only hums at her friend’s suggestion. Not only are children - and the entire population - of Galifrey stuck on the planet for their own safety, the design of the message is all wrong. Whoever wrote it has a very limited grasp on the concept of time. Her thoughts are interrupted by Yaz frantically tapping her shoulder. 

"I don't want to interrupt whatever you're doing, but I think they want to talk with you." The Time Lord glances towards the wall, spotting the crew approaching their hiding place.

"Ah, yes. Thanks, I was about to forget about them." The Doctor stands, moving to the back of the room. "As soon as they're inside, you go. Wait until I run out, and close the door behind me." The police officer nods, still uneasy about using her friend as bait. "Yaz?"

Brown eyes snap find the Doctor’s, widening at the sight of the Sonic screwdriver flying in her direction. "Lock the door. It's already on the right setting, but remind me to show you how to use the Sonic." 

"Y..." Yaz starts, interrupting herself with an incredulous chuckle. "Really?" 

"Really." The Doctor grins when she sees Yaz's beaming smile. The noise of heavy footsteps hitting marbled stairs interrupts the moment, and the Time Lord winks before falling back into the computer chair. "All right, let's do this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are more mistakes than usual, I didn’t have much time to edit this week :-/.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late update today, but I'm having A week at work. Part 6 probably won't be uploaded on Tuesday either, my schedule only goes back to normal in early November. 
> 
> Thanks again for everyone commenting or leaving kudos :-)

In the end, the Doctor breezes through the confrontation with the Count of Granite Bay. Before the man can realize what's happening, he's locked into the surveillance room with his security crew, while the Time Lord and Yaz stroll away, intent on going back to the TARDIS as soon as possible. 

When the first guests they set free contact local authorities, the Doctor makes a quick escape with an apologetic smile, earning a long sigh from Yaz before the younger woman indulgently waves her off. 

_Never again_ thinks Yaz, finding the path that leads back to the ship. She spent a full hour recounting her version of events to officers, journalists and a couple of politicians who tried to talk her into some sort of honorific ceremony. 

After filling in the chief of police about the zoo employees still held captive, the dark haired woman swiftly left the room. The Tuvian barely had time to shove a little medal in her hands - she's fiddling with it as her feet guide her to the TARDIS - before she made her way out of the Castle. 

Hurrying her steps once she catches sight of the blue box, Yaz grins when the door opens at her arrival. "Thanks." She enters the control room with a distracted pat on the wood, finding the Doctor watching Gallifreyan characters closely. "What's so interesting?" 

"The TARDIS can't find anything about a Timeless Child." She sighs, with a shrug. "Guess we'll have to wait and see." 

Yaz nods, dropping the medal into one of the alcoves scattered on the walls. 

"What's that?" 

"Some medal recognizing our heroic efforts." Yaz answers, rolling her eyes. "They wouldn't let me leave before I took it." 

The Doctor shakes her head, watching the metal shine under the TARDIS' orange glow. "Reminds me of when I was knighted." 

"You're a knight." Yaz repeats, blinking. "The British version of knights, or..." She trails off with a playful smile. 

The Time Lord nods. "Yeah. Got knighted and banished at the same time. And we met a werewolf. Still not sure how I feel about that day." 

"Ryan would never let you live that down." She snickers, wincing when her words are received with a heavy silence. Yaz holds her breath, nervous.

They fell back onto the foundations of their friendship in that castle, - a mix of their mutual desire to help people and the simple enjoyment of each other's company - but the relief of being able to work together does nothing to reassure the younger woman about the state of their day to day relationship. Her careless reference to Ryan brings back their recent loss, and Yaz worries the Doct...

"He wouldn't." The blond approves, with a nod that cuts Yaz's anxious wait short. "Back to Sheffield then? Been a while." 

It has, Yaz acknowledges silently. The prospect of spending a few days on Earth loosens the tension in her shoulders, until she's reminded that there would be no discussion over tea with Graham, or running competition with Ryan.

She used to hang out with both men, even on days they wouldn't meet with the Doctor. Going back to Sheffield without them wouldn't be the same, and she has to force a deep breath into her lungs when a burst of dread courses through her body.

There's also a little voice in the back of Yaz's mind wondering if the Doctor is going to come back for her. What used to be her main worry faded after the day they just went through, but a week of being pushed away by her friend left her concerned. 

"Do I have to?" 

"Don't you want to see your family?" The Doctor frowns, tilting her head. 

"Well, yes. But you... You won't disappear, right? You'll come back for me?" 

The alien's frown deepens. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Maybe because you tried to get me killed by a Weeping Angel, for my own good." The police officer fires back, startled by the words coming out of her own mouth. Yaz pushes the simmering anger to a corner of her brain, going back to the initial conversation. "What if you think staying with my family is the right thing for me?" 

The Doctor freezes at the reminder of her own actions as she ponders the question quietly. Staying with her family _would_ be the safest choice for Yaz. While she's too selfish to act on that knowledge, she's still struggling to think of a way to show her friend she won't abandon her on Earth. 

The TARDIS wheezes loudly in her head, and the Time Lord blinks in reply. _That will do, thanks girl._

Breaking eye contact, the Doctor jumps off the stairs and runs to the ship's hallways. "Got something for you." She says, the explanation hastily thrown over her shoulder. Yaz waits, left alone with her confused frown and bubbling thoughts. 

The Doctor is gone for about a minute, popping back behind the console with a pensive smile and her wrists crossed behind her back. "You were right." 

"Does that mean you were wrong?" Yaz responds, with the hint of a smile when she notices the blond's relaxed posture. 

"It happens. Don't tell anyone." She whispers, making her way through the room until she's standing in front of Yaz. "Pushing me to go to that party was the right thing to do. I'm the Doctor, and you're PC Yasmin Khan of the Hallamshire Police. Helping people is what we do." 

"Together." Yaz adds softly, and the interruption forces the Doctor to pause as she considers the word. 

"Yeah." She nods with a satisfied grin, and the dark haired woman can't help her own answering smile. "Together." The silence lingers for a moment while they stand, staring at each other before the Doctor remembers the point of her little speech. "Truth is, that I need you around, Yaz." 

Yaz blinks at the revelation, caught off-guard. They've known each other for almost a year, and she's able to see the woman behind her friend's heroic actions most of the time. But there's still something unbelievable about the very best person she's ever met needing _her_ \- Yasmin Khan, an ordinary twenty year old police officer from Sheffield - around. Refusing to question her luck, the human nods a little. 

"So, we've decided that you should have this." 

Yaz gasps when the Time Lord brings her hand forwards and opens her fist to reveal a small black key. "Is that..." 

"TARDIS' key. You can get in even when she's fickle now. And it’s a bit telepathic, just think of me and I’ll pop up if you’re ever in trouble." The Doctor explains, doing her best to sound casual. 

She stopped giving out keys to her companions after the Ponds. There was no need, with Clara constantly borrowing the spares ones, River's uncanny ability to enter the TARDIS whenever she wanted, and Bill's short lived stay. But Yaz needs something concrete to hang onto while they're apart, and a key is the only real commitment the Doctor can offer. 

The Time Lord’s reminiscing is cut short by a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her middle. 

“I thought I lost you too.” 

The confession is muffled against her shoulder, Yaz's forehead resting in the crook of the Doctor’s neck. She swallows audibly at her friend’s uncharacteristic display of vulnerability, before returning the embrace, one hand cupping the back of Yaz’s head and the other splayed between her shoulder blades. 

“I'm sorry. What I’m trying to say, is that you have a home here, Yaz. For as long as you want.”

The Doctor frowns, pensively. Keeping their relationship under the strict boundaries of friendship was fine, as long as it didn't hurt the younger woman. Yaz's tight grip is colored with an emotion that's a bit too close to desperation for the Doctor's taste, and she wonders if it might be time to stop denying herself what they both want. 

Not now, of course. She doesn't want Yaz to associate her new key and any potential development of their relationship, but... Soon. 

With a long sigh, she lets go of the last fearful ties holding her back and nuzzles into the dark hair spilled against her shoulder. Surprised, Yaz tilts her head to the side and their eyes meet, breath mingling in the suddenly warm control room. The Doctor has to force away the mix of affection and desire swirling through her brain, clearing her throat in a poor attempt to compose herself. 

“How do you feel about Sheffield now? Want to go check in with your family?” 

“All right.” Yaz sniffles, brushing away a couple of embarrassing tears. “I need to get out of this sci-fi uniform first.” She glances over her shoulder on her way to the TARDIS’ hallways. “So do you. I like your normal clothes better.”

“Aw, I knew you’d come around about my sense of fashion.”

“The rainbow look is growing on me.” Yaz slows her steps, about to exit the control room. “You could still lose the coat.” 

“What? I love that coat.” The Doctor complains, scrunching her nose when Yaz’s trailing laughter fades away.

***************

Yaz startles awake, her head hitting against the car's window when it hits a bump on the road. Realizing she's panting, she looks at the other passengers to find Sonya passed out against the opposite side of the backseat. Najia offers a concerned look from the front when she notices her daughter's frantic gaze.

"Everything all right, love?" 

"Yeah." Yaz breathes out, blinking and letting her eyes drift to the moving landscape. "Just a nightmare." 

The brutal return to Shamboli plays through her mind, her subconscious leaving her stranded with Ryan and Graham this time. She remembers sobbing as they aimlessly wandered through the forest, the group unable to even find the TARDIS to return home. Her friends' blood curling screams woke her up at the exact moment the dream version of herself realized she was surrounded by angel shaped statues. 

"You spend too much time at work." Hakim interrupts Yaz's memories from the passenger seat. "Fresh air will do you some good." 

The younger woman forces a smile, biting back the protest. The family is on their way to Scotland, for her father's annual birthday camping excursion. Yaz doesn't mind camping, but sharing a tent with four people quickly gets overwhelming, no matter how spacious it is. 

"I work outside, dad." The police officer points out, in a mumble. 

The remains of emotions stirred up by her nightmare are tainted with a restless energy that's still traveling through her body. The Doctor's absence only makes the situation worse, and Yaz fumbles for her phone, intent on firing a quick text to her friend. Her search comes up empty when she remembers her dad locked the four devices into the gloves compartment. 

She bends her neck and leans back against the headrest to roll her eyes. Shoving her hands into her jacket's pocket, she closes a fist around the reassuring weight of the TARDIS' key and tries to go back to sleep.

***************

The TARDIS lands with a familiar groan, stabilizing herself for barely a second before the floor abruptly tilts to the right.

“What now?” The Doctor asks, carefully stepping down the stairs. She cracks the door opened, and finds herself in the middle of the chaotic cockpit of a large ship, the room filled with smoke and people running around. Twisting her head, she grips the nearest crew member by the collar of her jacket. “You. What’s going on?”

“You shouldn’t be here, ma’am. All the passengers are in the lower deck, it’s for you own saf...”

“I can help.” The Doctor interrupts. “What happened?”

The short woman hesitates for a second, running her hand through her hair that's sticking out in every direction. “We grazed an asteroid. Lost half of the left wing, that crashed into the ship.” 

The Doctor blinks, scanning the left side of the room to see the burning leftover of a wing and a mess of metal sticking out of the ship. She frowns when she notices the magnitude of the impact. “How do we still have oxygen?” 

“Separate atmospheres in different compartments. The control room and the lower deck are still isolated, but the fire is moving through the compartments fast. We’re trying to land.” 

“Passengers?” The Doctor asks, coughing through the smoke, and eyes already searching for a pilot.

“About three hundred civilians, most are in the lower decks. The rest of us is tryi...”

“What about escape pods?” The Time Lord interrupts, roughly. Civilians shouldn’t be anywhere near a burning ship about to crash. 

“Well, the available ones have launched with about half of the passengers. But this is our newest vessel, we’re missing a good amoun...”

The Doctor runs a hand down her face. “I’ve landed on the Titanic, but it’s on fire. And in space. Again.” Raising her voice, she addresses the room. “All right, who’s in charge?”

A second woman, taller and with darker hair than her fellow crew member stumbles nearby. “Me?”

“Are you asking?” The Doctor scrunches her face in annoyance. 

“No, it’s me. I’m in charge. The captain and first officer are stuck in the resting quarters.” She glances to the flames enveloping the ship. “There.”

“And you are?”

“Myralie, ma’am. Chief engineer, ma’am.” 

“Good!” The blond exclaims, standing in the empty pilot’s seat. “Engineer away. What’s working?”

“Do you know how to pilot this ship, ma’am?” The woman is frowning, and the Doctor offers a tight smile. 

“Do you want to do it? Because it looks like you’re missing a pilot as well.”

“She... Was with the captain.” The replies comes with a heavy sigh. “We lost the left engine, most of the instruments are out of order. I was trying to steer the ship, but we lost the auto pilot and I was about to see if w...”

The Doctor tunes out the rest of her explanation, scanning the view in front of her. A desert moon comes into her line of sight, growing bigger every second with their breakneck speed. There is more than enough space to land, but between massive craters and the ship's missing left wing, the maneuver is going to be a challenge. 

“This is either going to be a really good story to tell, or I'm getting back to Earth with a new face.” She murmurs to herself, wincing. "Wonder what Yaz would think."

***************

Yaz pauses, hands on her knees as she tries to catch her breath. She takes her bottle and gulps a sip of water, blowing against the hair falling in her eyes. The quick run she planned turned into an hour long expedition, when she realized the noise of her feet pounding the ground of the forest managed to settle her restless thoughts.

Tucking the water bottle back into her running belt, Yaz is about to take off and return to the camping site when a blurry motion captures her attention. She leaves the trail to stumble deeper into the woods, joining a pale looking man pacing on the side. 

"Is everything all right?" 

The man glances in her direction, blinking. "I found someone. A dead someone." He explains, swallowing audibly at his own memory. 

Yaz clicks her jaw shut, approaching the stranger. "Have you cal..." 

"The police is gone now. They took him away." He interrupts, pointing a shaky finger to his left side. "His head was missing." 

"Wh... His head?" Yaz repeats, stunned. 

"Yeah. It looks like some sort of giant monster took a bite out of h..." He trails off, clamping a hand over his mouth at the mental image. "Sorry." 

Yaz sidesteps the stranger, and twists her head to catch a glimpse of the spot he pointed to. Patting his back, she leaves him to recover alone for a moment, as she walks closer to the red police tape tied between trees. 

Biting her lip, Yaz hesitates over the marker before noticing the ground where the body was laying. Between the puddle of residual blood, fallen leaves and a few broken branches, there is a footprint clearly visible in the mud. 

A very large footprint, left by something that has claws and only three toes, and is very obviously not from Earth. 

Slowly, Yaz crouches near the print and sighs when her fingers itch for her phone. She has no way to take pictures, and it's only a matter of time before the upcoming rain falls and erases any traces of evidence. Frowning, she narrows her eyes in concentration as she tries to find a way to preserve some sort of...

Yaz lets out a resigned sigh at her own idea, pouring out the leftover water in nearby bushes, before using her foot to push a bit of blood-tainted soil into her now empty bottle. Twisting the cap firmly shut, she brushes dust from her knees and slowly wanders back to the stranger. 

"Are you here alone?" 

The questions snaps him out of his thoughts. "My husband must be waiting for me. How long have I been here? He must be worr..." 

"Breathe." Yaz interrupts, gently. "Let's get you back to your tent."

***************

The Doctor blinks, falling back into the pilot's chair when the ship comes to a stop in the middle of a crater. With a dry cough through the smoke slowly filling the cockpit, she turns to the chief engineer. The pale woman is standing behind the copilot's seat, fingers digging into black worn-out leather as she struggles to keep the content of her stomach in place.

"Are you all right?" The Doctor asks, clearing her throat. The room is empty, after she sent the last officers to the lower deck in an attempt to reassure the civilians. 

"Are we dead?" Myralie whispers, eyes screwed shut. "Is it over?" 

"We've landed." The blond replies, glancing to the left side of the ship. The fire consumed most of the wing, flames now dangerously licking the metal of its main compartments. "Can I let passengers out from here? Don't think they fancy being burnt to death, after surviving the crash." 

"Yes." The crew member's trembling hands reach for a lever. "There's oxygen, it's why I aimed for that moon specifically." With a wheezing clutter, the large doors of the stocking compartment slide open, allowing a group of relieved civilians to step on stable ground. 

The Doctor watches wistfully, head leaning on her closed fist, as a mix of men, women and children runs through the crater, looking with wild eyes at what remains of their ship. There's a shared moment of shock, before the crowd realizes how close they came to death, and family members embrace each other. A woman and her small child catches the Time Lord's attention, the taller figure crouching down to the youngster's level until the boy's tears turn into a reluctant smile. 

The woman reminds her of Yaz a bit, between her leather jacket, dark hair and similar height, and the Doctor frowns at the sudden burst of longing. Barely an hour has passed since she left her friend, but she's already missing the warm hand she knows would be on her shoulder, if Yaz was here. There would be just a hint of affectionate pride shining through her brown eyes, the same one that always sends the Doctor's hearts raci...

"I'll join them, if you don't mind." The chief engineer snaps the Time Lord's musings short. "Fire is getting close. Will you be fine with your..." The woman motions towards the TARDIS vaguely. "Box?" 

"Course. We're always fine."

"Thank you." Myralie hesitates, offering a last glance as she opens the door leading to the stairway. "We'd be dead without you, I'm not... I can't pilot this sort of ship." 

"Eh, maybe not. But you were willing to try, and that's what's important." 

With a last nod, the woman jogs down the steps, leaving the Doctor alone in the control room. She shifts her shoulders, easing the tension of the stressful maneuver, before the TARDIS groans loudly. Sharply twisting her head, she frowns as the familiar wheezing echoes faintly in the room, before jumping out of her seat and dashing across the space. 

Her fingers snap instinctively, the door slamming open in response as she dives feet first into the ship. She raises to her elbows and glares at the ceiling. "What's wrong with you?"

***************

Yaz holds her breath as she tentatively slips away from the campfire. Her parents are both asleep, napping against each other on logs placed on the ground. Sonya disappeared first - off looking for her phone - while the police officer stuck around for a bit, making sure they wouldn't wake up.

The evening meal was spent trying to calm down both of her parents down, once the news of the dead body spread through the crowd of campers. Najia's frantic concerns were distracted by Hakim's conspiracy theories, enough for the woman to agree to their traditional campfire. 

Pushing her family to the background of her mind, Yaz steps on a rocky beach surrounding a shallow lake to fiddle with the TARDIS key that's resting in her hands. The metal is cool against her palm, and she uses the tip of her index finger to gently poke at it. 

_It’s a bit telepathic, think of me and I’ll pop up if you’re in trouble._

Yaz smiles at the memory, wondering if the Doctor thought she would get into trouble so quickly. A possible murdering alien hiding in a camping site in Scotland is probably what her friend meant, when she mentioned "trouble", though the police officer can't help but wonder if the footprint wasn't a bad attempt to play a prank.

The expression fades once Yaz remembers she still has to sort out how to use the small object in her hands. How does a telepathic key even work? 

"Doctor?" She tries, cringing when her voice breaks the silence of the early evening. "I need help. I think." 

Silence stretches over the lake, and Yaz exhales loudly when she realizes nothing is happening. "You'd think she'd explain how a telepathic key works." She mumbles, glaring at the calm water. 

_Think of me and I'll pop up. _

"All right, then. This better works, because I'm out of ideas." Yaz says, closing her eyes and narrowing her thoughts to her memories of the Doctor. 

Her mind wanders for a bit, until she settles on the specific moment the woman explained how an antimatter drive worked, on the Tsuranga rescue craft. Between the genuine passion sparkling in her eyes and the captivating hand movement punctuating her speech, that's when Yaz understood that what she believed to be a short-lived crush was growing out of control.

When the familiar noise of the TARDIS materializing breaks the silent atmosphere of the night, Yaz emerges from her memories with a triumphant smile.

***************

The Doctor is still laying on her back against the floor, when the doors slam shut behind her, and the entire control room jostles with the impact of takeoff.

“I hate when you do that.” She complains, eyes raised to the ceiling. “I’m the pilot, can’t you at least give me a warn...” Trailing off as the TARDIS stabilizes with a muted noise, she gets back to her feet. “Landed already? That was a short flight.”

“Right, where are we?” The Doctor climbs on the second step, throwing a look to the console's display. “Scotland? You do know I can’t blend in anymore?” The persistent silence draws a frown out of the blond. “Let me grab my coat, and I’ll...”

The rest of the sentence gets stuck in her throat, once their location sinks in. “Wait, wasn’t Yaz camping in Sc... Yaz!”

The Time Lord clumsily stumbles out of the room, leaving behind a forgotten coat and an exasperated ship.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading/kudo-ing/commenting! Another week of chaos, and I should be able to go back to the regular update schedule :-D

Luckily for the Doctor, Yaz is approaching the blue box at a more reasonable speed and manages to side step out of the rushing alien’s way.

“Yaz!” The Time Lord exclaims when she spots the police officer. “What’s wrong? Are you all right? Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

The rapid fire of questions comes with equally quick hands digging into her leather jacket-clad shoulders. The Doctor’s eyes are racking up and down Yaz’s body, and the younger woman would be flattered, if not for the frantic concern swimming in her pupils.

“Doctor, breathe!” Yaz says, stopping the flurry of energy by clutching both of the blond’s wrists. It forces the other woman to pause, and she lets out a relieved sigh.

“Breathing, yes. I love breathing. Breathing is great.” Yaz stays quiet, allowing silence to linger as both of her thumbs rub soothing circles on the back of the Doctor’s hands. “I panicked a bit.”

“Just a bit, yeah.” Yaz replies playfully, careful to keep her voice gentle.

The teasing coaxes a tight smile from the Time Lord, before she tries to justify her reaction. 

“Sorry, wasn’t expecting you to use the key so soon. I don’t know why...” She hesitates. “Don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“I do.” Yaz retorts with a heavy sigh. “The same thing that’s wrong with me.”

The Doctor’s confused gaze prompts an explanation. “I took a nap in the car, on the way over. I had a nightmare, woke up and when I realized you weren’t there, I...” She trails off with the memory of pure fear fading into restless anxiety, until they arrived at the camping site. “Panicked a bit. I had to run for almost an hour, just to calm down.”

“Yaz...” The long breath that follows her name makes the younger woman frown.

“If you’re about to apologize for the nightmares, don’t. It’s not your fault.”

The Doctor chuckles sadly, biting back her first reaction. “All right. Want a hug instead?” 

Yaz blinks, surprised. She's always been inclined on casual touching with her family, but the Doctor being a hugging person is a very new development. Declining the offer doesn't even cross her mind, as she steps closer to wrap her arms low around her friend's back. 

The Doctor returns the embrace, hands running up and down Yaz’s spine. Without the additional layer of her coat, she can feel every bit of warmth radiating from the soft body pressed against her own, and she closes her eyes at the addicting sensation.

_I could get used to this. _

The thought is terrifying, so the Doctor refuses to dwell on it and chooses to lose herself into their previous conversation. “What was your nightmare about?”

“The Weeping Angel took you, and I was left on Shamboli with Ryan and Graham.” 

The words spill out of Yaz's lips before she has a chance to filter her thoughts, leaving her cringing at her own honesty. 

The Doctor muffles a stunned gasp, brushing her lips against Yaz’s forehead in answer. The dark haired woman melts a little deeper into the hug at the easy affection, breathing in the comforting scent of mechanic oil mixed with fruity shampoo and just a hint of... Smoke?

They hold each other until the Time Lord notices flashes of movement through the woods, on the opposite side of the lake. “What’s going on?”

Yaz takes a step back when she spots the lights holding the alien's interest. “They're patrolling the woods. That’s why I called you.”

“Thought you were just missing me.” The Doctor quips.

“That too.” The answer comes with a sharp elbow making contact with the Time Lord’s ribs, a silent reply to her smug smile. “They found a body.”

The alien raises a dubious eyebrow. “Investigating murder is more your area of exp...”

“The head was chomped off.”

“An entire human head?”

“Yeah.” Yaz confirms, biting her lip to contain a smile when she notices the Doctor’s barely concealed interest.

“Loads of animals feed on dead bodies, Yaz.” The blond points out, rocking back on her heels in a poor attempt of nonchalance.

The police officer rolls her eyes. “None that takes off the head in one bite, and I found a footprint. I don’t know any earth animals with claws that big.” The only answer she receives is an intrigued side glance, and Yaz chuckles quietly. “I got you a soil sample from where the victim was found. It has blood and everything.”

“Where?”

Yaz points to the camping site, separated from the lake by a thick barrier of trees. “Back in the te...”

“Come on.” The Doctor interrupts, taking her hand and pulling forwards. “Let’s get a shift on, we need to find out what happened.”

***************

Yaz falls into step with the Doctor once they enter the woods, the taller woman forced to slow down on the uneven ground.

“So, how long has it been for you?” Yaz asks, curious.

“Hm?” The question brings the Time Lord out of the theories swirling through her brain. 

“Since we last saw each other? You said you don’t wait around after you drop us in Sheffield.”

“Oh, couple of hours.” Her eyes widen when she remembers the ship. “I landed a cruise ship that was about to crash.”

Yaz shakes her head, squeezing the hand in hers. “Of course you did.”

“Just me and the chief engineer.”

Blinking, Yaz opens her mouth to prompt for more information. 

“And it was on fire.”

“You’re just being annoying now.” Yaz smiles, watching the Doctor grin in reply. “Do you ever rest?” She wonders, voice turned pensive.

The Doctor considers the question. “I spent twenty-four years with River on Darillium.” She shrugs. “It was fun.”

“Oh, good.” Yaz teases. “Maybe I can get you to stop for twenty-four hours.” She freezes when the implication behind her words sinks in. “Not... That we’re married. Or a couple. But we could go on a holiday together, as mates. Friends go on holidays all the time, Sonya leaves every year with our next door neigh...”

“You’re rambling.” The Doctor remarks, and Yaz has never been more thankful for an interruption, realizing that she was only digging herself deeper.

“I know.” She hesitates, eyes glued to her boots. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply we have the same kind of relationship you had with your wife.”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

Yaz falters and she almost trips on her own two feet, kept upright only by the Doctor's grip around her hand. She blinks when the Time Lord doesn't even glance at her, seemingly unaware of the impact of her words.

Before Yaz can gather her thoughts and ask her friend to clarify what she meant, the trail brings them back to her family's camping spot. 

“That’s a big tent, how many peo...” The blond pauses, her entire body stiffening. “Wait, is your whole family in there?”

“Of course they are. It’s a family tradition.” Yaz smiles, stressing the last words.

The Doctor blinks, shaking her head. “I’ll wait for you here, you don’t need me to get the samp...”

Yaz clears her throat, a poor attempt to hide her amusement. “You’re coming with me.” She says, using their still joined hands to tug the alien forwards. “My family is a lot less scary than being stuck on a burning spaceship.”

“According to who?” The Doctor mumbles, offering an apologetic smile when Yaz raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “Sorry. But your mum will start asking questions again, and I’m not good at personal questions.”

She scrunches her nose at the prospect of an interrogation, her gaze flickering between their clasped fingers and Yaz’s profile.

“What if she asks if we’re seeing each other again? I never know what's the proper th...”

Yaz’s laughter rings in the quiet atmosphere of the night, while she pulls her friend closer to the Khans’ camping spot. 

When they reach the picnic table behind the tent, she stops and draws courage from the warm contact between their hands and the Doctor’s usual disregard for personal space, before leaning in to whisper. “Believe me, when we're seeing each other, you’ll know.” 

The Doctor’s jaw slacks at the bold comment, earning another burst of warm laughter from Yaz, who raises to her tiptoes and gently pecks her cheek. “You started it.” 

The alien grins in response when the shock fades, silently shaking her head. Satisfied to see her teasing well received, Yaz shifts her palm to her friend’s shoulder blades in a soft pat. “Well then, get a shift on.”

***************

"Yaz?"

The younger woman unzips the entrance of the tent, frowning when she finds herself facing three pairs of eyes filled with different levels of concern.

"Where were you? You disappeared in the middle of dinner, I've been so wor..." Najia pauses as she watches her daughter shuffle to the side, making room for the Doctor who slides into the empty space. "What are you doing here?" She asks, voice turned colder.

Yaz winces when she sees her friend's back straighten as she greets the older woman. 

"Hello again, Yaz's mum. I've been invited for camping, hope that's all right." 

"Najia. Is it so hard to remember?" Najia asks, rhetorically. She eyes the Time Lord in silence, while Sonya smirks knowingly and Hakim gives a friendly wave. "I hope you brought your own tent." 

The words prompt the Doctor to examine the room. There are three distinctive spaces - two bedrooms and what seems to be a little kitchen - that are separated by flimsy curtains sewn into the roof of the tent. 

"This is nice. Never gone camping before." 

"We go every year." Hakim answers, tentatively making conversation as Yaz disappears to rummage through her sleeping bag. She finds the soil-filled bottle and brings it back to the Doctor, smiling gratefully towards her dad. 

"Don't eat it." Yaz whispers playfully, sinking back to the ground to watch the Time Lord tinker with the recipient. 

"What's that?" Hakim interrupts.

"It's..." The police officer starts, trying to explain what she's doing with a bottle of red tainted dirt. 

"Soil." The Doctor replies, a hand already diving for her trousers' pockets. "I have a soil collection, like you and junk." She adds distractedly as she twists the cap to press the Sonic against the opening. 

"What's _that_?" Sonya asks, intrigued by the orange light shining through the tent. 

"Erm." The Time Lord offers a tight smile, realizing too late that she should have waited to scan the sample. "It's sort of a scanning dev..." 

"It's a Sonic screwdriver." Hakim breathes out, and the blond's gaze snaps to him. "It is, yeah?" 

Denial is at the tip of her tongue, but when the Doctor meets his wide eyes, she blows out a long sigh. The spark of recognition shining through his pupil is familiar, and she wonders if arguing with him is worth the effort. "Yeah. It is." 

"It's really you." Hakim's voice grows louder, a slow grin spreading across his face. "I knew the stories were real." 

"Hakim?" Najia speaks up, confused by her husband's odd behavior. "What are you going on about?" 

"You were wrong about her. She's the Doctor." Hakim retorts with an incredulous laugh. "It means everything else is real too, right? Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans... And those Monks." 

The Doctor scratches the back of her neck, hyper aware of Yaz's gaze glued to her profile. "Sort of. Shouldn't believe everything you read online th..." 

"I don't. I just... Remember." Hakim cuts off, shaking his head. 

The answer forces the Doctor to pause, and she tilts her head in compassion. Being human is hard, being one of the few humans without their unwavering ability to forget means an even bigger challenge. "I'm sorry you can't forget." 

"Why?" 

"Defense mechanism." The Doctor shrugs, bringing her attention back to the Sonic's display. No useful information there. "Must be scary to look at the night sky, knowing what's up there." 

"I'm not scared. Why would I be?" 

She frowns at his careless reply. "Well, human technology is not good. You lot can't defend yourself aga..."

"We have you." 

The Time Lord closes her eyes, feeling the weight of her reputation lands squarely on her shoulders. The human race’s lack of memory involves a lot of explaining on her part whenever there's an alien invasion, but it also means she can escape the burden of responsibility associated with her name.

"I do what I can. Glad you feel safe." The Doctor’s voice is short, and she half stands to make her way out of the stiffening tent. "Back in a mo, I need to analyse this sam..." She excuses herself, pointing to the water bottle squeezed into her hand before Hakim interrupts again. 

"Are you going to your ship? Can I see it?" 

The Doctor hesitates, stuck between his hopeful tone and her desire to steer away from the endless questions she knows are coming. 

With a reluctant nod, she gives in to the tiny spark of pride that bubbles up whenever she shows the TARDIS to new humans. "All right. Better put some shoes on." 

Hakim scrambles for his backpack, buzzing with energy while Najia stands and exits the tent first. "I'm coming too. I don't know what you're both going on about, but I don't like it." 

"Well, I'm not staying here alone." Sonya adds, rolling her eyes. "I don't know why we all have to go see some ship." 

The Doctor finally risks a glance in Yaz's direction, catching a glimpse of unreadable emotions storming behind brown eyes. Without a word, the police officer slips out of the room and walks towards the trail leading to the TARDIS. 

The Time Lord frowns, hurrying in her footsteps while the rest of the group makes its way to the woods at a slower pace.

***************

"I was expecting more questions." The Doctor says, breaking the silence stretching over the forest. 

She caught up with Yaz a few seconds ago, and they've been walking side by side in unusual silence. The noise of Najia and Sonya interrogating Hakim fades to the background as the Doctor brings her attention back to her friend.

"My _father_ knows more about you than I do. Maybe you should travel with him." The younger woman grumpily replies, unable to shake the mix of disappointment and envy stirring in her chest. 

The Doctor sighs, shaking her head. "Does he?" She raises an eyebrow when a stubborn silent is her only reply. 

The anger brewing behind Yaz's words catches the alien off-guard, but it's the sad slump of her shoulders that tugs at her hearts. "Your father knows what I've done and who I was. He knows nothing about who I am now." 

Yaz blows out an annoyed breath, shrugging. "Does it make a difference?" 

The Doctor glances at her friend and holds her gaze for a fleeting moment, freezing. The disappointment staring back at her makes her stomach drop, before she grips Yaz's elbow and tugs her off the trail.

Once they disappear from view, she backs the police officer until Yaz bounces against a tree, leaving them standing face to face, inches apart. After the Khan family wanders passed their spot, their ragged breathing is the only discernible noise in the woods. 

"I used to wear bow ties." Yaz gulps at the Doctor’s whispered words, shaking her head in a poor attempt to ignore her body's reaction to the sudden closeness. "I had a new one for every trip. Blue when we went to the past, red for the future. Have you ever seen me wearing a bow tie?" 

The dark haired woman breathes out a negative answer, drawn to the quiet intensity sparkling in the Doctor’s eyes. 

"Because it's not me anymore. Your father has no idea how many sugars I take with my tea, or what my favorite breakfast is." She sighs, a touch of exasperation slipping into her voice at the persistent doubt darkening brown eyes. "Yaz, what do I do when I can't find a solution to a problem?" 

"You..." Yaz trails off, clearing the breathlessness out of her voice. "You pace." 

"I pace. Do you think your father knows that?" 

"No." 

"_No._ Because there's nobody in the universe who knows this face better than you do, Yasmin Khan." She pauses, satisfied with her friend's small smile. "Does my past matter this much to you?" 

Yaz swallows as she ponders the question. "Sort of. You know so much about mine, and I spent months trying to get you to talk to me. It doesn't feel fair that my dad get to know everything about you."

"Nobody knows everything about me." The Doctor denies, gently. "Should have told me sooner." 

Maybe, Yaz admits to herself. Remembering the Time Lord’s easy agreement when she made her promise to be honest about her past, she realizes they should have had that discussion a long time ago "Yeah." The nod that comes with her answer draws a grin from the Doctor. "You're right." 

"We're good now, yeah? You don't..." The blond pauses, frowning in hesitation. "You know I'm trying, right?" 

Yaz shifts forwards at the obvious concern in her friend's voice, heart squeezing painfully at her earnest gaze. Laying a hand against the Doctor's cheek, she places the other on the side of her neck, her thumb rubbing against cold skin. Eyes flicker to Yaz’s lips, and she gulps at the hint of longing coloring soft hazel. 

"Yaz? Where are you, mum thinks you're dead again." 

Sonya's voice propels both women apart, Yaz's shoulder blades hitting the tree while the Doctor jerks back and trips on a branch. She falls against the ground with a muttered complain, at the exact moment Sonya stumbles on the scene. 

"Why are you on the ground? You're so weird." 

The Doctor raises to her elbows, glaring at the younger woman. "Thought it would make a good napping spot. You should try it." 

Yaz snickers, offering a hand to the doctor and tugging her up once her sister is gone. "I know you're trying. Thank you." She says, with a frustrated sigh.

Knowing the moment is lost, Yaz squeezes the hand still tangled with hers in consolation. “We should go, before my dad breaks into the TARDIS." 

The Doctor nods once, obviously struggling to gather her thoughts as they wander back to the lake.

***************

When the Doctor and Yaz approach the TARDIS, Najia and Sonya are waiting near the door while Hakim excitedly circles the blue box, taking in every detail.

Once he notices the two women's arrival, he waves them over. The Time Lord smiles at his childlike enthusiasm, leaning closer to Yaz. "Want to impress your family?"

"How?"

"Imagine the TARDIS' doors opened, and snap your fingers. Same as when you use the key" 

The police officer frowns, staring at the Doctor's profile for a lingering moment. "You're serious." 

"Hm." The noncommittal noise is enough for Yaz, and her eyelids flicker as her mind paints the picture of the ship with her doors wide open. 

"I'm trusting on you on this." She warns, feeling the alien's shoulders shake in silent laughter before she snaps her fingers. The TARDIS responds with a squeaky noise, and Yaz uses her free hand to grasp the Doctor's elbow. "It worked. Do you realize how jealous Ryan would be?" 

The Doctor shakes her head at the spark of gentle competition that marked Yaz's friendship with the man, before pushing through the Khan family that's rooted to a spot near the entrance. 

"You can get in." She offers over her shoulder, reaching for the coat forgotten on the console. Slipping on the left sleeve, she turns to watch Yaz pass through the threshold. 

Najia and Sonya peek their heads through the door, while Hakim tentatively enters the control room. He blinks, freezing somewhere near the bottom step, before letting out a quiet gasp. 

"It is. It really is." 

"It's what, dad?" Yaz prompts, with a frown. Her mum and sister's reactions - a shared, stunned look at the realization that they're standing in a _spaceship_ \- make sense, but her dad's wonder is odd. 

"Bigger on the inside." He breathes out, and the Doctor's eyes instantly snap to him. 

"What did you say?" 

"It's bigger on the inside." 

The Time Lord steps away from the soil analysis, sauntering to the older man before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Hakim Khan, you are my new favorite human. Congratulations." 

"Oi!" Yaz protests, interrupting her attempt to coax Sonya and Najia into the ship. "Rude." 

"You're a close second." The Doctor shrugs with a teasing smile, leaving Hakim to his quiet contemplation. 

"What is _that_?" Sonya finally speaks, blinking. 

"A TARDIS." 

"You travel in a police box, into space. You're an alien. That's what my dad said." Yaz exhales softly at Sonya's flurry of facts, glad that her father offered at least the beginning of an explanation to the rest of her family. 

"Space and time, yeah." 

"Nobody can travel through time." Sonya frowns, and Yaz hits her shoulder. 

"This." She motions to the room. "All fits into a police box. And it's the time traveling part that bothers you." 

"Shut up." The younger woman retorts, before the Doctor interrupts their bickering. 

"Najia, close the door please?" 

The older woman does as she's told, still dazed by the rapidly unfolding event. The Time Lord tinkers with a couple of switches, leaning close to the central column when she approaches the take-off lever. "All right, I know you hate short jumps. I need you to work with me." Pushing the controller down, she hangs to the console when the ship trembles for a few seconds.

"What just happened?" Sonya blinks, hands wrapped around one of the column. "Did you take us to Mars?" 

The Doctor scrunches her face. "No, thank you. Can live a few more centuries without meeting the Ice Warriors again. Just look outside." 

Sonya tentatively steps back towards the door, cracking it open. "We didn't even mo..." She trails off, eyes widening when she notices the stars scattered through the black sky. "It's the middle of the night." 

"Yep." The Doctor smiles, drawling out the word. 

"Wh... The sun just set!" Sonya exclaims, mouth hanging open. "And now it's the middle of the night. How?" 

"Time travel." The blond replies, as the human leaves the control room with a whispered excuse. Yaz watches her go, leaning closer to the Doctor. 

"It's the same night, right? You didn't..."

The question earns her an exasperated shake of the head. "Show a little trust. I do know how to drive my own TARDIS." 

"Just asking." Yaz raises her hands in surrender, wincing when she catches a glimpse of Najia's fiery eyes glued to her friend's back. She sighs, squeezing the Doctor's forearm out of her mum's sight. "Sorry for whatever my mum is about to say." 

"Yasmin Khan, you have some explaining to do." The older woman warns, and Yaz gulps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will never be over how the writers made Hakim Khan obsessed with conspiracies, but he doesn't know anything about the Doctor. Just saying.
> 
> I'm also starting a "bring back the 'bigger on the inside' line 2K20" campaign :-P.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone still reading this! I wanted to post today, so I rushed through editing... Sorry for any mistakes :-)

_"Just asking." Yaz raises her hands in surrender, wincing when she catches a glimpse of Najia's fiery eyes glued to her friend's back. She sighs, squeezing the Doctor's forearm out of her mum's sight. "Sorry for whatever my mum is about to say."_

_"Yasmin Khan, you have some explaining to do." The older woman warns, and Yaz gulps._

***************

Meeting her mother's glare, Yaz crosses her arms with a sigh. "I don't know what you want me to explain. Dad already told you about the Doctor. We travel together." 

"To other planets?" Najia replies, stressing the last word. "And through time?" 

"Yes." 

"Do you know what you're doing?" Her voice grows louder, as she twists her hands together. "What about your job?" Before Yaz can think of an answer, Najia picks up her line of questioning. "How long has this been going on? Were you ever going to tell us?" 

"Not anytime soon." Yaz mumbles, earning another glare. 

"What did you just say?" 

"Look how you're reacting." The police officer snaps. "I knew I couldn't bring it up without... This happening. And you would have never believed me." 

"I..." Najia closes her mouth, scowling. "Maybe not at first. But with time, I would ha..."

"Even then." Yaz interrupts, shaking her head. "You would have told me to stop wasting my life traveling, or gone on forever about how dangerous it is. I do know what I'm doing."

"You don't." Najia cuts through the tension in the room. "You're barely twenty years old, Yaz. You're too young t..." She sighs, making a conscious effort to lower her tone. "Have you thought about your job at all?"

"I haven't missed one shift since I've started probation. Time traveling does have advantages." 

The attempt to lighten the mood only exacerbates Najia's frustration. "What about us? I'm going to worry about you every day now. Do you even care?" 

Yaz pauses, taking a second to shake off the flare of guilt bursting through her thoughts. "You don't have to wor..."

"How am I supposed to feel about my daughter traveling with an alien?" 

***************

The Doctor tunes out the conversation once she realizes there's nothing she can do to ease Najia's concerns. The woman is right, at least partly. Traveling with humans is selfish - even a bit greedy, if she's honest with herself - and the Doctor wishes she could give them up. 

There's something about humans and their never-ending thirst for exploration that resonates on a deep level inside her. The feeling is magnetic, and it makes Earth feels just a bit like home. 

With a sigh, she aimlessly turns a switch while the TARDIS analyzes the soil sample, wincing when Najia's voice raises again across the control room. 

"I can help." The low words startle the Doctor out of her melancholic reflection, bringing her attention back to Hakim. The man is standing on her left, voice stern and conflicting emotions shining through his eyes. "Get them to stop fighting."

"How?" 

"Just promise me someth..."

"No." The Time Lord interrupts, shaking her head. "I can't promise she'll be safe, Hakim. If you know anything about me, you know what happens to the people I travel with." 

"I _don't_. They just disappear. I'm so scared the same thing will happen to Yaz." He whispers, gaze drifting to his daughter's passionate plea. "But you've changed her life." 

The Doctor's hands fall back on the console as she wonders if the change in Yaz's life is for the better. 

"I've never seen her so happy. Najia noticed too, she thought she was dating someone." He watches the alien's mindless tinkering while he gathers his thoughts. "I need you to promise me you'll protect her the same way you protect Earth." 

The Doctor freezes at the unusual request, and Hakim continues once he sees he captured her attention. "You're always there when we need you. And you're relentless, and resourceful, and clever..." He trails off with a sigh. "Knowing Yaz is out there is terrifying. She's my _daughter_. But you're the best person to watch out for her."

Part of the tension resting heavily on the Doctor's shoulders fades. _That's_ an oath she can keep. "I will, I promise. I love traveling with your daughter, Hakim. I'd die to protect her." 

"She..." He hesitates, staring at the alien in front of him. Somehow, the woman is both exactly like he imagined, and nothing like he expected. "Loves traveling with you too. And I just want her to be happy." 

"You're a good father." The words spill out of her mouth before she can filter her thoughts. 

"I try." He offers a tight smile. "Let's see exactly how good I am." 

***************

Yaz muffles a long sigh against her palm when her mum launches into another argument about how the Doctor is ruining her life ("Do you even think about your family when you're off to space? How long has it been for you, since the last time we saw each other?"), biting back her bitter answer. 

The circling fight is exhausting, and she wants nothing more than to kick her parents off the ship, leaving Earth behind. Maybe they could go back to Kirnstano, with its rain bathing spots scattered under a seemingly never ending rainb...

"Najia." 

The sound of her father's voice tightens the muscles in Yaz's shoulders. She can handle an argument with her mum, but the prospect of fighting both of her parents makes her want to flee the room.

"Remember what Umbreen said, when Yaz was born?" 

Najia freezes, back straight and hands stuck in the air, mid motion. She slowly turns her head to face her husband, in grim understanding. 

"You do." He smiles gently, shifting his attention to his daughter. "Your nani said a woman named Yaz helped her through the worst time of her life." With a quiet sigh, his expression fades. "It was you, wasn't it?" 

"I... We...." Yaz snaps her jaw shut, struggling to gauge how much her father really needed to know. 

"It's all right." His hands fall on the younger woman's shoulders. "I knew Sheffield was going to be too small for you when you came back from school, that very first day. Remember?" Still addressing Yaz, he glances to his wife who found a sudden interest in the metallic floor. 

"Yeah." Yaz smiles, with a soft chuckle. "It was art and craft day."

Her thoughts drift to her first day of school, when a five year old version of herself was asked to draw what her life would look like in thirty years. The clumsy strokes of her brush painted a poor representation of a wrinkled, white haired woman flying a tricycle in space, waving back to the planet. 

"I still have that drawing." Hakim nods. "Your grandmother traveled from India to Sheffield in 1947. Your mother won't admit it now, but we were planning on sailing off to see the world, before you came along. It's in your blood, Yaz." 

"Hakim." Najia growls, feeling her last chance of keeping her daughter safe slipping through her fingers. 

"It is." The dark haired man sighs. "You know I'm right."

"But you..." Yaz trails off, shaking her head. His approval warms her heart, but she can't quite reconcile the reaction with his countless attempts to persuade her to settle on a safer career path, back when she entered police training. "You didn't want even me to be a police officer. You know this is like... Like being a space police officer." 

He blows out a long breath, echoing the Doctor's silent frown. "I was scared. I'm still scared, but you have someone to watch your back, not like when they put you on patrol alone." Hakim says, scowling. "I can't believe they put policewomen alone on patrol." 

Yaz rolls her eyes. "Can we not argue about this again?" 

Raising his arms in surrender, Hakim nods and glances towards his wife. "I know you're st..." 

The sentence is interrupted by the TARDIS chirping, drawing the Doctor's attention away from bickering humans. She leans over the display, scratching her head at the unlikely result. 

"Doctor? What is it?" 

The Time Lord startles, turning to face the Khan family staring at her. "Scan results. The soil had traces of Stovian DNA." 

Yaz bites back a smile when her friend's eyes shift back to the console as she falls quiet, seemingly convinced that the humans in the room all know what a Stovian is. "In English, Doctor." 

"Sorry." The blond glances back with a sheepish smile. "Stovians are like... alien vultures. They feed on dead bodies."' 

"I thought it killed a man." Hakim points out, brows furrowed. 

"Unlikely. I'm trying to see if the TARDIS can find a cause of death from the blood contained in the soil sample." She turns a switch on the panel. "Should take a few minutes, you lot can keep fighting." 

Yaz muffles an exasperated laugh, climbing the stairs to look at the Gallifreyan characters, if only to avoid her parents' reaction. "Your social skills really need work." The Doctor scrunches her nose, but the younger woman interrupts before she can apologize. "Do you have a plan yet?" 

"Well, we need to find the Stovian. He'll either accept a ride home to Sto, or I'll try calling up UNIT again." 

"Can we help?" Hakim's hopeful voice asks, from behind them. 

"Erm..." 

"We are helping." states Najia, cutting off the Doctor's hesitation. "I want to know exactly how dangerous all this..." She gestures to the control room. "Is." 

The Time Lord can only nod, adjusting her plan to fit her new team of four people. "We can split up, shouldn't take too long. Stovians are hard to miss, and he can't be far." She glances at the group in front of her, surprised to see Sonya reluctantly returning to the room. Five people then. "All right, I'll search around the lake with Yaz. Naj..."

"No." The Doctor blinks at Najia's nonsensical voice. "We're with Yaz." She announces, holding her husband's hand.

"What? I wanted to be with the Doct..." Hakim's disappointed objection is cut short by a sharp elbow hitting his ribs, drawing a forced smile out of the man. 

"Yeah, all right. I'll search the lake with Sonya, and you three can search the woods. Do not engage with the Stovian without me." The Time Lord warns, serious eyes glancing between both of Yaz's parents.

"Why? Are they dangerous? What do they look like?" The police officer wonders, frowning. 

"All excellent questions, that's ten points for you." The Doctor approaches the console, hand ghosting along Yaz's back. The TARDIS' wall lights up with the image of a very large bird, recognizable by its bright red beak and golden feathers. "Not dangerous, they're just... Massive. They'll completely ignore you, as long as you don't make them angry. Or try to fly on their back. Not my finest moment, I'll admit. Should have asked first." 

Yaz lets out a quiet sigh. "You meet a massive animal that looks more like a dinosaur than a bird, and your first thought is "Let's see if I can fly on it.""

"You say that like it's a bad thing." The Doctor grins, and Yaz shakes her head, fondly. 

"Oi, we're still here. Stop flirting." Sonya interrupts. 

Yaz clears her throat, carefully avoiding her mother's narrowed eyes. "Not flirting. You have your phone, right?" 

Sonya freezes and glares at her sister, Hakim's voice cutting off any answer she could offer. "Sonya! We said no phone." 

"It's fine, just give it to mum." Yaz dismisses, before Sonya can word her outrage at the situation. "We need a way to communicate, and the Doctor already has one." 

The younger woman reluctantly hands over the device, storming out the ship with a long sigh. "Where are you going? We need to talk about your attitude, Son..." Hakim's voice fades away as he goes after her. 

"Leave her alone, we have more urge..." Najia's warning disappears into the background, until Yaz and the Doctor are left alone in the control room. 

"You'll be all right?" The dark haired woman's voice lilts on the last word, brows knitted together at the prospect of her friend teaming up with Sonya. "With my sister? She'll probably try to get under your skin, don't let her get to you. And don't believe anything she tells you about me." Her frown deepens as she imagines the sort of embarrassing stories Sonya would be ecstatic to share with the Doctor. "I changed my mind, don't listen to her at all, she's goi..." 

"Yaz." The police officer stops talking when she catches sight of the indulgent gaze staring back at her. "I've worked with loads of rude people. As long as your sister doesn't try to drown me, we'll be fine." 

"Once was enough?" Yaz snickers. 

"It was too much." The Doctor replies, scrunching her nose. "You'll be careful, yeah? Still don't know what killed that man." 

Swallowing audibly, Yaz realizes they're about to be on different teams for the first time since Shamboli. She steps closer, fingers ghosting over the Doctor's elbow. Soft hands cup her cheeks, and Yaz muffles a startled gasp when her friend brushes a lingering kiss against her forehead. Clearing her throat, she gathers her thoughts in a mostly coherent answer. "Always. Don't get in trouble, I don't think my sister would be much help." 

"Me? In trouble?" The Time Lord shrugs, grinning. "When does that happen?" 

When the TARDIS' doors abruptly open, they widen the distance between them. "What are you two doing?" Najia asks, eyeing both women suspiciously. 

"Planning, of course. Come on, Yaz. Stovian is not going to wait forever, they're very impatient." 

***************

"Here." The Doctor announces, glancing back over her shoulders at Sonya who's trudging through the thick high grass. "That's a good place to hide." 

They circled the lake, settling on the side opposite the TARDIS. A few fallen trees are scattered across the small clearing, offering a few good places to sit and wait as they keep watch for any trace of alien presence. The entire camping ground is visible from this side, and the Doctor is happy with the viewpoint it grants them. 

Sonya crumbles against a trunk laying on the ground, out of breath. "Now what?" She asks, once her lungs stop burning.

"Now we wait." The Doctor shrugs, sliding to the ground and crossing her legs. 

Minutes tick by, interrupted only by the combined noise of rustling leaves and water clapping along the rocky beach. Sonya jumps when she feels movement against her ankles. "What's that?" 

"Don't know. It was small, maybe a mouse." 

Struggling to ignore the thought of a mouse touching her feet, Sonya swallows as she grasps for a topic of conversation. "So, why my sister?" 

The question draws the alien's head up, catching her attention. "What do you mean?" 

"Come on. You're some sort of alien superhero, yeah?" 

"I'm not a hero." The dark shadow passing through the Doctor's pupils is lost in the night. "Never was, never will be." 

Sonya rolls her eyes. "All right, fine. But still, you travel through time and space. Why bother with a twenty year old cop from Sheffield? She's not even real police yet." 

The Time Lord stifles her first reply fueled by protective instinct, considering the question seriously. "Who would you pick?" A confused silence answers her, prompting a clarification. "If you were me. Who would you travel with?"

Sonya blinks, surprised. "I don't know. An astronaut maybe, or a scientist. Someone clever. Or someone who can fight." She sighs. "Not my sister anyway." 

"I don't need a fighter." The Doctor shrugs. "And I especially don't need clever. I'm smart enough. I need to be reminded that life is precious, Sonya. When you live as long as me..." She gulps, remembering the constant struggle to stay in touch with the rest of the universe. "I need kindness, and compassion, and heart. Yaz has _so much_ of that." 

"I don't know why I asked." Sonya cuts off, bitterly. "Of course my sister is bloody perfect." 

"What happened between you two?" The Doctor frowns, surprised at the dejected voice.

"What?" The younger woman freezes, eyes glued to the moving surface of the lake. "What are you going on about?" 

"I know siblings bicker." She shrugs. "But it seems like more than that." 

Sonya swallows audibly. The quiet atmosphere of the night settles around them, before she whispers a brutally honest answer. "I'm always second best. Yaz is our nani's favorite, and my dad's favorite - not that he ever said it, but I know she is - and my mum's always taking her side when we argue. She has everything. Good results in school, acceptable friends, a job." She exhales loudly. "I want to be a fashion designer, you know?" The words are pouring out of her mouth, the dam containing her frustration broken by a surprisingly compassionate hazel gaze regarding her. 

"That's brilliant." 

Sonya blinks, caught off-guard by the genuine interest. "Tell that to my parents. They think I should get a real job, like Yaz. My dad complains about my grades in school, my mum complains about my choice in friends. No matter what I do, it's never good enough."

The Doctor sighs, pursing her lips as she considers how much personal information she wants to share with the human. "I had a friend growing up. We did everything together. Nobody else could understand me like he could." She blows out another long breath at the mental picture of her much younger self running across a field with the Master. "We were going to travel the universe together, visit every star. And now..." Trailing off, she shakes her head. "Now every time we meet, it's a competition to see which one of us can hurt the other the most. Don't take your sister for granted."

The mix of regret and grief coloring the alien's words makes the mocking reply on the tip of Sonya's tongue fade away. Besides, the Doctor might be right. It's not Yaz's fault, if every adult in their life keeps comparing the two of them. Maybe she could cut back on her hurtful remar...

"Oh, and Sonya?" The dark haired woman glances in her direction, curious. "Next time your dad complains about your school results, tell him I failed the Academy."

"The what?" 

"The Academy. It's like high school, back home. I failed twice, technically. They only passed me the second time because they wanted to get rid of me." She grins to herself. "Think I made too many professors quit." 

"Oh. No." Sonya breathes out, drawing a frown out of the Time Lord. 

"Wasn't that bad, I just had questions. Loads of quest..."

"Shut up." She whispers, urgently. The Doctor's frown deepens, eyes scanning their surroundings until she notices the flash of golden moving across the shore, right in front of their observation spot. 

"Oh, yes. Stay here." Standing, the blond approaches the Stovian as non-threateningly as possible. She raises both hands when the bird looks in her direction. "Hello." Her voice is soft, a whisper barely heard over the water lapping against the shore. "I'm the Doctor. You really shouldn't be here." 

The Stovian ignores her, tilting his head to glance over at Sonya. With a few steps, he leaps over the Time Lord and lands in front of the terrified human. 

"Don't move." The Doctor jogs back, freezing when she reaches the other alien's side. "He won't hurt you." 

"How would you know?" Sonya protests, from between gritted teeth. 

"He just wants the dead rabbit next to you." 

"The what?" The strangled question earning a loud quack from the bird. "You could have told me I was sitting next to a dead animal." 

"Yeah, well I thought you'd panic. I was right." The Doctor points out, shifting until she stands between the Stovian and his meal. 

Ignoring the Time Lord's instructions, Sonya jumps to her feet and backs away from the vulture when his black, emotionless gaze fastens to her shoes. The sudden movement only draws him closer, and she opens her mouth to scream as a palm falls roughly against her lips. 

"Shh. Be quiet, it's fine." Yaz murmurs, slowly taking off her hand when she feels Sonya's attempt to talk. 

"Don't tell me we're fine, when there's an alien pterodactyl looking at us like we're on its menu." 

"There's another alien standing between us and the pterodactyl, in case you didn't notice. The Doctor knows what she's doing."

"It's your girlfriend's fault if we're here in the first pla..."

"Oi, not helping." The Doctor cuts off, voice raising. She turns to the Stovian when he glares at her, barely noticing Yaz's apologetic wave. Crouching, she sizes the dead rabbit in her left hand and offers the corpse to the alien, who gulps it in one bite. "Now what? Are we friends?" She wonders, with an unhappy scrunch of her noise. 

The alien peers at her, eyes narrowed and head tilted questioningly. "I'm out of food, sorry." When he steps back and flings his wings in a flurry of golden feathers, she corrects herself. "Wait!" The Doctor urgently rummages through the pockets of her coat, fingers hitting plastic wrapping as she winces, realizing the package is her only option. "Do you like biscuits?" 

Yaz snickers in the background, and the Time Lord glances over her shoulder. "Shut up. Doing my best here." 

The Stovian's eyes are glued to the Doctor's hand, where the plastic reflects the dimmed moonlight. When she tears it open and throws a custard cream in his beak, he gives a loud screech. "Well, either you think I'm trying to poison you, or we're best friends now." The bird comes closer, nudging her hand with his head. "Ha. See, Yaz? Everyone loves biscuits." 

The comment earns the Doctor a fond smile, drawing an annoyed groan out of Sonya. "Do you always flirt like that? It's gross, control yourselves." 

Yaz rolls her eyes, gripping her sister's elbow. "Shut up. Come on, we're going back to the TARDIS." 

"What for?" The younger woman protests, allowing the hard tug to guide her further on the path leading to the ship. 

"Because the Doctor can't drive and control that giant bird at the same time." 

"Oi, who's going to drive then?" The objections comes with a deep frown. "I don't trust you with a spaceship. We'll end up on Pluto."

"Well..." Yaz trails off, grimacing. "You'll see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter is basically me trying to flesh out Yaz's character. She has all the qualities to be one of the best DW companion ever, and I'll forever be bitter she's lost in a poorly balanced team dynamics -_-.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for everyone's feedbacks! It helped a lot, because this chapter was hard to put together. I hope it's still good though

Yaz and Sonya burst into the TARDIS, the older woman running up the stairs and glancing at the controls. Sonya stubbornly refuses to move, arms crossed and leaning against the wall closest to the doors. 

"Hello, TARDIS?" Nothing happens, except a faint snickering in the background that draws a long sigh from Yaz. 

"You're talking to the ship. Do you think that thing is going to answer to you?" Sonya laughs, about to tease her sister further when a loud whir echoes through the room. "Wha..." 

"Don't insult her." Yaz warns, hands wrapped around one of the metallic handles screwed into the console. "Sorry, that's Sonya. She's my sister. She's rude to everyone, it's nothing against you." 

"Oi!" 

The police officer tunes the protest out of her mind. "I need your help. The Doctor found the Stovian, and we need to get it home. I don't think she can drive and watch a wild pterodactyl at the same time though." Vaguely aware that she's rambling, Yaz glances up. "Can you drive yourself to Sto?"

Seconds tick by in tense silence, until something nudges at the edge of Yaz's conscious thoughts, like a blurry memory fighting to resurface after much time has passed. The foreign sensation guides her to a blue lever, but her fingers freeze a breath away from the controller. "Is that you? You want me to push it?" 

After a moment of stillness, Yaz backs away, convinced that she hallucinated the feeling. Her hand has barely left the console when a burst of static electricity travels from the tip of her fingers through her wrist. "Oi. That hurts." 

"What did I tell you about shocking humans?" 

Yaz's shoulders slump at the familiar voice, relieved. She raises her hands in dismissal when the TARDIS' background noise drops in some sort of apology. 

"Fine. Yaz, just let her guide you through the takeoff routine. She'll do the rest herself." The Doctor instructs, backing into the ship with her eyes glued to the Stovian, who's struggling to fit his large body through the door. 

Dangling a biscuit in front of his eyes, she watches as he pushes forwards, stumbling inside with an unhappy screech. "Sorry, there you go." The alien catches the snack midair, munching on it while the Doctor glances between the central column and her friend.

"You could feel her, right? In your head?"

"Sort of." Yaz replies, unsure.

"Sorry, humans are not built for telepathy. Do you want to feed him while I do it?"

"No!" The younger woman is quick to decline the offer, catching a glimpse of a red beak snapping shut. Her attention falls back to the levers and switches displayed in front of her. "I can do it." 

"Course you can." The Doctor agrees, blindly stumbling for the biscuits pedal.

Yaz paces through the room, activating controls whenever the TARDIS' odd signals echo in her head. Once she gets used to sharing her brain _with an alien ship_, she relaxes into the process. "All done. That one is for take off, yeah?" She asks, frowning when the Doctor shakes her head. 

"I'll do it. Can you wait outside for me?" 

"Why?" Yaz questions, unhappy. 

"Won't take long, I promise. Someone needs to stay with your sister." Yaz glances around, suddenly aware of Sonya's abrupt departure. 

"But I wanted to see Sto." She objects weakly, aware that Sonya would never willingly travel in space.

"Bit of a rubbish planet, honestly." The Doctor shrugs, lowering her voice when the Stovian glares at her. "Loads of water, a few islands, and nothing much to see." 

Yaz raises a dubious eyebrow - even the junk galaxies they visited managed to hold her interest - and the Doctor sighs, resigned. "All right, I'll take you to Sto. Not today though." 

The dark haired woman grins, pecking the Doctor's cheek before she makes her way out of the ship, not without noticing her friend's faint answering blush. 

Sonya catches the action from her spot right outside the doors with a knowing smirk, waiting for Yaz to join her as they watch the blue box fade into nothingness. 

""Tell me she's not your girlfriend again." The younger woman teases. 

"She's not." Yaz rolls her eyes, sighing. 

"You want her to be." Sonya singsongs, and Yaz huffs. She doesn't deny the claim, which doesn't escape her sister's attention. "Ha. You have a crush on an alien. I know you've always had weird friends, but that's j..." 

Interrupting herself when Yaz walks away to settle on a boulder facing the lake shore, Sonya frowns at her sister's back. The conversation she had with the Doctor nudges her into action and she scowls, reluctantly approaching the other woman. 

"I don't really care, you know." She offers, before sinking to the ground and leaning back against the same rock. 

"Shocking." Yaz fires back, looking down. "You never care about anything."

Rolling her eyes, Sonya ignores the quip. "Fine." Silence lingers over both women, until she makes a second, more sincere attempt. "Don't listen to mum. You should travel with your cru..." She corrects herself. "With the Doctor, if it's what you want to do with your life." 

Yaz frowns, eyeing the younger woman skeptically. "Is that another one of your plot to have my bedroom?" 

"Probably. I hate you so much, I'm just hoping you'll never come back." 

The police officer hesitates when she notices the genuine disappointment behind Sonya's sarcasm. She gulps, choosing to dig up the information she overheard earlier. "And you should be a fashion designer. I think it's great." 

Sonya freezes, glaring at her sister. "How long were you listening for?" 

"I heard the whole thing. Dad twisted his ankle in the forest, I had to move him back to the tent with mum. They started packing, and I came back for you." She pauses. "I'm serious. Don't let them hold you back. I saw your drawings, they're..." _Awesome._ "Above average." 

"Thanks." Sonya snickers again, a touch of amusement in her voice. "What happened to your other friends?" 

Yaz ponders the question silently, eyes lost in the horizon. "They decided to stay behind on Shamboli. It's a garden planet with every sort of plants you can think of." 

"Stay, you mean for good? They moved to an alien planet?" 

"Yeah." The older woman replies, making a mental note to catch up the Doctor on her lie. "They'll be all right." 

"That's too bad. I liked Ryan." 

"Please don't." Yaz winces as she remembers her sister's interest for her friend. 

Sonya huffs, staring at her sister's profile. "So, you'll do it then? Travel with her for good?" 

Yaz shrugs. "She insists I keep my job here, I'll be around to do a few shifts and to see mum and dad. And you." Biting back a happy grin, she shakes her head. "But yeah. I love it, Sonya. The things we see, the people we meet... And we help so much. It's amazing." She falls silent, lost in memories. "She's amazing." 

"Speaking of amazing, I'm expecting the best holiday gifts, from now on." Sonya surprisingly lets Yaz's emotional outburst slide, opting to move the conversation along. "And birthday gifts. Bring me back something from another planet." 

"Like what, a rock?" 

"Not if you don't want it thrown in your face." She fires back, standing and brushing dust from her pants. "I'm going back to the tent, before they leave without me. How bad is dad's ankle?" 

"Pretty swollen, that's why they started packing. Mum wants to get him to A&E." 

"And you're waiting for the Doctor?" Sonya asks, smirking at Yaz's sheepish shrug. "I'll tell them. Hope she doesn't forget you." She turns and walks towards the path leading to the main camping ground. 

"Hope you don't get eaten by a bear." 

***************

The Doctor strolls out of the TARDIS with a long sigh, grumbling about the cold wind of Scotland as she turns her key into the lock. 

The quick trip to Sto turned into an hour long expedition that was spent negotiating with the massive bird. He eventually agreed to leave the ship when the Doctor threw a handful of biscuits out of the doors, a parting gift that he accepted with a loud screech. 

The Time Lord blows out a long breath as she steps towards the trail that would take her to the camping site, before catching a glimpse of a shadow huddled against a boulder, on the slope leading to the lake. 

"Yaz?" The Doctor whispers, narrowing her eyes in the near complete darkness. The younger woman is leaning against the hard surface, head thrown back and arms folded in front of her. "Yaz!" She crouches at her side, hand pausing a breath away from her shoulder, in a poor attempt to avoid startling her friend. "Wake up." 

"Am not sleeping." Yaz denies in a mumble, words slurred. She blinks and the Doctor"s concerned features come into focus. "You were gone ages."

"I know. The Stovian didn't want to leave, once he realized the TARDIS has an unlimited supply of biscuits." 

Yaz's answering burst of laughter is cut short by a shiver racking down her spine, bringing her attention to the drop in temperature that happened when she was definitely _not_ sleeping. The Doctor notices, her hand falling against Yaz's wrist. 

"You're freezing. Why didn't you go back with Sonya?" 

"My family left." Yaz replies, rubbing her palms against her upper arm. "Dad twisted his ankle, and mum wanted to take him to A&E"

Watching the motion, the Doctor plops down on the ground, shimmering out of her coat and draping it over her companion. The material falls against Yaz's shoulders, enveloping her curled up form loosely. 

"Better?"

Between the faint remains of body heat and the Doctor's scent clinging to the coat, Yaz grins. "Yeah." She bites her lip and anchors her gaze into green-brown irises, tucking her nose into the collar and breathing in. "Smells like you." 

The silent shock slacking the Doctor's features earns a satisfied smile from Yaz, before the blond kick-starts her brain. "And what do I smell like, Yasmin Khan?"

Mostly human things, the police officer remembers noticing on the night they met. A combination of soap, laundry detergent and aftershave lotion that caught her off-guard - at least until she understood that the Doctor literally had been a white haired Scotsman - and drew up her suspicions about that odd stranger claiming to be from another world. 

There is something else mixed in that scent, something foreign and completely alien. Yaz can't quite word it, but it stirs up memories of starry night skies and crispy winter mornings. The TARDIS smells the same, she realized recently. 

"The universe." Yaz pauses, smirking. "And sugar. A very unhealthy amount of sugar."

The Time Lord huffs playfully. "I'm very clever, Yaz. My head needs loads of fuel."

Snickering, the dark haired woman brings her hands out of the coat to blow against her shaky fingers. The Doctor follows the motion and frowns. "Let's get you back into the T..." 

"Not yet." Yaz declines, gazing back at the lake. She's cold, but comfortable here, reminded of the countless nights she spent as a child under the very same sky. Camping seemed like such an exciting adventure back then, and little Yaz always loved an adventure. 

"You're still cold."

"So, do something about it." Yaz challenges softly, glancing to the blond in an sudden surge of bravery. "You just said you're clever."

The Doctor swallows audibly, eyes slowly drifting to the dark water as she breathes in. They watch the lake side by side for a few seconds, until the Time Lord shuffles closer, arm circling her companion's shoulders. 

With a pleased little smile, the younger woman leans into the embrace and settles her head against the Doctor's collarbone. Their position on the ground leaves Yaz with residual shivers and a painful twinge in her lower back, both sensations registering in a far away corner of her brain. 

"Is it really helping? You know I run colder than huma..."

"Shh." Yaz cuts off, nestling her cheek against the Doctor's shirt. "I'm enjoying this."

"All right." 

There's a pressure against the top of her head, and Yaz glances up to see a blond head leaning against hers. Breathing in, she closes her eyes and allows herself a rare moment of peaceful quiet. 

***************

"I wanted to ride my tricycle around the world."

"What?" The Doctor frowns when Yaz speaks after a moment of companionable silence.

"The childhood dream my dad was talking about, earlier." She clarifies. "I wanted to ride my tricycle around the world." Pausing, Yaz glances back to the blue box that's almost invisible in the dark. "This is better." 

The Time Lord smiles, wistfully. "Is it? I should take you to Raxmophonia. They do everything on wheels." 

"Please don't go off about wheelies again." The quip earns Yaz a silent shake of the Doctor's shoulders, laughter echoing under her ear. 

"He was wrong, my dad. About the rest he said. I don't travel with you because it's in my blood. I don't even travel with you because of..." She trails off, with a vague hand motion in the small space between their bodies. "This. I came with you because of what happened the night we met. I had no idea what I was doing on that crane, but you threw me the keys, and I knew I had to step up. And I did. I've been asking my coworkers to test me like that for a year, but they keep ignoring me. You just... Showed up and trusted me." 

"Of course, I did." The Doctor's voice is quiet, prompting Yaz to raise her head and establish proper eye contact. She doesn't go far, the blond's arm still loosely wrapped around her. "How could I not? You asked all the right questions and you wanted to help. Didn't take me long to sort out you're brilliant." 

"I..." A mix of pride and warm affection tightens Yaz's throat, until she gulps. "I'm starting to believe that, mostly because of you." Biting her lip, she lets the words settle as she gathers her thoughts. "You draw out the best in people. I'm sure Graham and Ryan feels the same, whenever or wherever they ended up. " 

"They died because of me. Doubt they're grateful, Yaz." The Doctor counters, eyes hardening. 

Caught off-guard, Yaz blinks. "What?" 

"I should have warned the boys ab..." Interrupting herself, she shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. If they never came with me, they'd still be happy somewhere in Sheffield. Graham would be living with Grace, and Ryan wou..." 

"Be bored out of his mind, working in a warehouse. And I'd be stuck on probation again, completely unhappy. Carl from the train would be held in stasis somewhere with Stenza warriors, an entire Tsuranga rescue craft would have been eaten by a Pting, Rosa Park would be erased from history..." Yaz trails off, fiery determination coloring her words. "You can't just forget about everyone you helped because you're sad. Everyone _we_ helped." 

The Doctor frowns, struggling to shove away the guilt permeating her thoughts. "You say that now. You were mad at me, back on Shambol..."

"Seriously?" The human interrupts, hand finding the Time Lord's jawline and pressing gently until they're staring at each other. "I was mad when you were avoiding my questions, which was a bit my fault. I was completely angry - still am - about how you tried to trick me into leaving you, even after you knew it's not what I wanted." 

"Sorry." The Doctor interrupts, and Yaz pauses when she realizes her accidental confession. 

"It's not..." She hesitates. The anger is tucked away in a part of her brain, forgotten for the most part. They should probably talk about it - at least at some point in the near future - but it's not the message she wants to convey to her friend. "Not the point. We make our own choices, and we assume the risks. You told us how dangerous traveling with you is, repeatedly. I never thought what happened to Ryan and Graham was your fault. Never." Yaz breathes out, staring into shadowed pupils. "You have to believe me." 

Processing grief with someone is a new experience for the Time Lord, and the sudden outside perspective leaves her brain reeling. Ryan and Graham were Yaz's friends too, she saw what happened on Shamboli, and her judgement is almost always reliable. If the other woman still doesn't think the responsibility falls on the Doctor's shoulders... Maybe it doesn't? Or at least, maybe it's not completely her fault.

"Think I do." She whispers, eyeing Yaz pensively. "I'm sorry for trying to make you leave. I really thought being with your friends was the best for you." With a deep breath, she allows her eyes to fall back on the lake, lowering the intensity of the conversation. "Guess I forgot about your family. I'm sure you'd miss th..."

"I chose you, not my family." The raw honesty coloring their discussion makes the words tumble from Yaz's lips. The Doctor's gaze snaps back to hers, stunned. 

"What?" 

The absolute silence surrounding them allows Yaz to catch the Doctor's broken whisper."I chose you, not m..." 

The rest of the sentence is lost against cool, dry lips pressed to hers, the Doctor's fingers clutched into the material of her coat that’s still draped over Yaz. Using her free hand to cup the younger woman's cheek, her thumb rubs up and down soft skin in a gentle motion, a stark contrast to the electric intensity of the contact between their lips. 

"You kissed me." Yaz breathes out, once they separate. 

"Is that all right?" The Doctor asks, frowning at the dazed look thrown her way. "I should have asked first, right? Clara kept saying something about consent being sexy, I didn't pay much attention. Didn't want to kiss anyone back then."

Yaz drops her forehead against the Time Lord's shoulder, in a poor attempt to hide her beaming smile. "You kissed me." She repeats, with a noise embarrassingly close to a giggle. 

"Yeah." The Doctor grins, fingers threading through the thick hair spilled against her side. "I did." 

Yaz inhales deeply, calming her heart that seems about to beat through her ribs. "For the record, you should definitely ask before kissing someone."

"Sorry." The aliens replies, her nose scrunched. 

"But if you wanted to..." Yaz trails off, struggling to hang onto her casual demeanor. "To do it again, you have my full consent." 

The Doctor ponders the words in silence. "What if I wanted to kiss you a lot?" 

Yaz's heart goes racing again at the question, pounding in hopeful chaos. Her eyes find the blond's blown up pupils, and the shadow of barely hidden longing that lurks there draws her in. 

Hands anchored to the Doctor's shoulders, she shuffles to her knees. Ignoring the painful sting of rocks digging into her skin through her jeans, she feels a pair of arms circles her waist, tugging her closer until their upper bodies are pressed together. Yaz tilts her head down, touching her lips to the Doctor's again.

It's softer this time, despite the Time Lord's hands mapping out every ridge of her spine, traveling up and down her back in small strokes. 

A weak voice at the back of Yaz's head reminds her that they should probably discuss this unexpected development of their relationship, but the younger woman dismisses the thought. Talking can wait until the Doctor’s tongue isn’t sweeping against her bottom lip. 

A loud noise registers in a corner of Yaz’s brain, as she feels the Doctor inhales sharply. 

“Heard that?”

Yaz chases her mouth when she backs away, focused on the warmth coiled in her chest. “Doesn’t matter.”

The Doctor’s weak attempt to reply is cut short when Yaz’s fingers lace together at the back of her neck, tugging insistently until they’re kissing again. 

Minutes tick by while they lose track of time. Yaz notices the throaty purr that escapes the Doctor whenever she uses her nails to scratch against her scalp, and it’s all she can concentrate on, doing her best to draw that sound again. 

Until water starts pouring from the sky. 

They both freeze as the cold rain soaks through their clothes, exchanging looks of shared exasperation. 

“Can we go home now?” The Doctor asks, running a hand through tousled hair. 

Home. The word settles in Yaz’s chest, warm and solid. She can’t help her slow spreading grin, earning a frown from the other woman. 

“Glad the rain is making one of us happy.” She points out, blowing against a blond lock sticking to her cheek, under her eye. 

“It’s not the rain.” 

Her reply stuns the Time Lord for a second, before she slips her hands over Yaz's shoulders, gently drawing the hood of her coat over dark hair. 

Nuzzling gratefully into the touch, the younger woman is snapped back to the cold water by the goosebumps littering the Doctor’s usually smooth skin. 

“Come on.” Yaz scrambles to her feet and lowers her palm towards the Doctor. “Get a shift on.”

Amused, she grabs the offered limb and hauls herself up, before sprinting back to the TARDIS, hand in hand with Yaz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody up for an epilogue? It's already written, but it could also be the first part of my next story in this universe. It's really up to you :-)

**Author's Note:**

> Couple of things to address here:  
First, I have no shame in stealing Amy/Rory exit, because I thought it was the most definitive ending of New Who (Without being absolutely soul crushing like Donna's). I needed it to be quick too, because that story is not about Graham and Ryan leaving, it's about how Yaz and the Doctor learn to cope/find their way to each other. 
> 
> It's also my own way of protesting against the writers making Graham's struggle over Grace's death such a central point of season 11, without the Doctor even mentioning River once. I get that they wanted to start a new era, but that decision was both stupid and out of character.
> 
> I didn't tag the Doctor/River because she's not going to appear again. I loved how they ended her storyline in the show, and I'm not messing with that. I just needed someone the Doctor would trust to 1-Convince her to leave, 2-Take care of the Angel and 3-Be left alone with Yaz. 
> 
> That's it from me, see you all next week :-)


End file.
